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LIBRARY 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

IRVINE 

GIFT  OF 


MR.  WARREN  STURTEVANT 


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Registrar 


A  DANGEROUS  MOMENT 

The  "Victoria"  was  flying  almost  above  the  troop  of  horsemen  who 
were  riding  with  loose  reins  after  Joe.  The  doctor  in  the  front  of  the 
car  held  the  ladder  extended,  ready  to  launch  it  at  the  proper  moment. 
Joe  still  kept  about  fifty  feet  ahead  of  his  pursuers.  The  "Victoria" 
passed  them. 

"Attention!  "  cried  Samuel  to  Kennedy. 

"I  am  ready." 

"Joe,  look  out !"  cried  the  doctor  in  a  ringing  voice,  as  he  threw 
down  the  ladder,  whose  lowest  rounds  dragged  up  the  dust  as  they  fell. 

At  the  doctor's  summons,  Joe,  without  checking  his  horse,  turned 
round.  The  ladder  was  close  to  him,  and  in  a  moment  he  had  caught 
it.— Page  367. 


Vol.  1. 


orfw  nsrnaaiod  io  qooiJ  arij  ^vods  Uomlr,  gnixh  asw  "BnoJoiV"  sriT 
9ifJ   lo   Jnotl  aril  ni   loioub  srfT     .so{  laJis  enbi  saool  riliw  gnibii  aisw 
•Jnamom  laqmq  sril  1b  ii  rianusl  oJ  ^(^biisi  ,fa9bn9Jx9  labbiil  -idi  blari  ib3 
"fiiioJjjV"   9ilT    ..ai^uatwq  arri   V   bisads   i«»9l   yJlft  tuodB  Jq9J  Ilba  9o[ 

.rnaril  baeasq 
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".'(^bBai  rafil'* 
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•llai  x^^*  8*5  iaub  ailt  qu   ba^gBib  shaitvi  Jsav/ol  -jsoriw  .labhsl  ad]  nvrob 
baniiJ*   ,93iorI   eid  ^nijloaria  Jrjod)iv/^  ,^oJ  ,snofnmije  a'loJrjob  ariJ  tA 
ifigusD   bfiri   srf  Jnamom  b  ni  bns  ,mnl  oi  »8ol3  eBw  T;>bbi;l  ^rlT     .bnuoi 


.1  ./<>v 


WORKS 


vr 


vj) 


EDITED  BY 


CHARLES  F.  HORNE.  Ph.D. 

Professor  of  English,  College  of  the  City  of  New  York; 
Author  of  "The  Technique  of  the  Novel,"  etc. 


^. 


Vincent  Parke  and  Company 


NEW   YORK 


t  •  •  • 

•  •  •  • 


LONDON 


V  '   ; 


Copyright,  1911, 
BY  Vincent  Parkk  and  Company. 


JULES  VERNE 


f' 


■*^  HE  expander  of  horizons,"  is  what  a 
TT^    ^     noted  critic  called  Jules  Verne.    He 
if'     was   the   prophet,  the   foreseer   and 
AfaigiiT-.-         foreteller   of   our   great    mechanical 


-v«* 


Vv»- 


age.  He  belongs  to-day  not  to  France,  but  to  the 
world.  Widely  as  his  works  have  been  read  in  his 
own  country,  their  popularity  has  been  yet  wider 
in  America  and  England.  Much  as  he  has  been 
honored  at  home,  even  higher  glory  has  been  ac- 
corded liim,  we  are  told,  in  far  Japan.  His  books 
have  been  translated  not  only  into  all  the  usual 
languages,  but  into  Hebrew,  Japanese,  Polish  and 
even  Arabic. 

Verne  was  a  universal 
teacher,  both  of  youth  and 
age.  From  him  the  whole 
world  garnered  knowledge 
without  effort;  for  all  lis- 
tened with  pleasure  while  he 
spun  his  tales.  He  was  a  su- 
preme master  of  imagination, 


vn 


Jules  Verne 


JULES    VERNE 

and  without  imagination  man  is  nothing;  for  all 
greatness  is  but  a  phase  of  imagination.  It  is  the 
creative  force  of  the  world.  Under  Verne's  guid- 
ance his  readers  travel  in  every  land,  examine  every 
mode  of  life  and  labor,  view  all  the  strangest  won- 
ders of  the  universe. 

The  educators  of  youth  have  been  swift  to  recog- 
nize the  high  value  of  the  masterworks  of  tliis 
mighty  magician.  His  simpler  tales  are  used  as 
text-books  in  our  American  schools,  both  in  French 
and  English.  And  the  conscience  of  the  moralist 
can  here  approve  the  eager  pleasure  of  the  reader, 
and  bid  youth  continue  to  bask  in  this  glorious 
light  of  wonder  and  adventure.  There  is  not  an 
evil  nor  uncleanly  line  in  all  the  volumes.  Never 
did  anyone  lay  aside  one  of  Verne's  books  without 
being  a  better,  broader,  nobler  human  being  be- 
cause of  their  perusal. 

Surely  the  time  is  ripe  when  a  definitive  edition 
of  the  master's  works  should  be  given  to  American 
readers.  Jules  Verne  died  in  1905;  and,  though 
he  left  behind  him  in  the  hands  of  his  Paris  pub- 
lishers an  unusually  large  number  of  unissued 
works,  the  last  of  these  has  now  been  given  to  the 
public.  Moreover  we  can  now  estimate  his  work 
calmly,  unconfused  by  the  tumultuous  and  very 
varying  opinions  pronounced  upon  it  by  the  French 
critics  of  his  own  day. 

viii 


JULES    VERNE 


Verne's  Home 


Their  obituary  reviews  of 
his  work  differed  widely  as  to 
its  value.  On  the  one  hand, 
the  noted  critic,  Morel,  in  the 
authoritative  "Nouvelle  Re- 
vue" declared  Verne  to  be  the 
leading  educator  and  perhaps 
the  most  read  author  of  the 
new  twentieth  century.  At  the 
other  extreme  were  the  un- 
signed assaults  of  those  who 
could  only  make  a  mock  of 
v/hat  was  too  open  and  too  honest  for  them  to  com- 
prehend. 

Verne  was  no  intricate  analyst,  elaborating  such 
subtleties  of  thought  and  ethics  as  only  subtle  folk 
can  understand.  He  spoke  for  the  great  mass  of 
men,  giving  them  such  tales  as  they  could  follow, 
upholding  always  such  a  standard  of  courage  and 
virtue,  simple  and  high,  as  each  of  us  can  honor  for 
himself  and  be  glad  to  set  before  his  children. 

It  is  not  only  "boy's  literature"  that  began  with 
Verne.  One  might  almost  say  that  man's  litera- 
ture, the  story  that  appeals  to  the  business  man, 
the  practical  man,  began  then  also.  The  great 
French  "Encyclopedic  Universelle"  sums  up  his 
books  by  saj^ing,  "They  instruct  a  little,  entertain 
much,  and  overflow  with  life." 


?^:.:¥^ 


IX 


JULES    VERNE 

Jules  Verne  was  the  establisher  of  a  new  species 
of  story-telling,  that  which  interweaves  the  most 
stupendous  wonders  of  science  with  the  simplest 
facts  of  human  life.  Our  own  Edgar  Allan  Poe 
had  pointed  the  way;  and  Verne  was  ever  eager  to 
acknowledge  liis  indebtedness  to  the  earlier  master. 
But  Poe  died;  and  it  was  Verne  who  went  on  in 
book  after  book,  fascinating  his  readers  with  clev- 
erly devised  mysteries,  instructing  and  astonishing 
them  with  the  new  discoveries  of  science,  inspir- 
ing them  with  the  splendor  of  man's  destiny. 
When,  as  far  back  as  1872,  his  earl 5^  works  were 
"crowned"  by  the  French  Academy,  its  Perpetual 
Secretary,  M.  Patin,  said  in  his  official  address, 
"The  well-worn  wonders  of  fairyland  are  here  re- 
placed by  a  new  and  more  marvelous  world,  created 
from  the  most  recent  ideas  of  science." 

More  noteworthy  still  is  Verne's  position  as  the 
true,  the  astonishingly  true,  prophet  of  the  discov- 
eries and  inventions  that  were  to  come.  He  was 
far  more  than  the  mere  creator  of  that  sort  of 
scientific  fairyland  of  which  Secretary  Patin  spoke, 
and  with  which  so  many  later  writers,  Wells,  Hag- 
gard and  Sir  Conan  Doyle,  have  since  delighted  us. 
He  himself  once  keenly  contrasted  his  own  methods 
with  those  of  Wells,  the  man  he  most  admired 
among  liis  many  followers.  Wells,  he  pointed  out, 
looked  centuries  ahead  and  out  of  pure  imagination 


JULES    VERNE 

embodied  the  unknowable  that  some  day  might 
perchance  appear.  "Wliile  I,"  said  Verne,  "base 
my  inventions  on  a  groundwork  of  actual  fact." 
He  illustrated  tliis  by  instancing  his  submarine,  the 
Nautilus.  "This,"  said  he,  "when  carefully  con- 
sidered, is  a  submarine  mechanism  about  which 
there  is  nothing  wholly  extraordinary,  nor  beyond 
the  bounds  of  actual  scientific  knowledge.  It  rises 
and  sinks  by  perfectly  well-known  processes.  .  .  . 
Its  motive  force  even  is  no  secret;  the  only  point 
at  which  I  have  called  in  the  aid  of  imagination  is 
in  the  application  of  this  force,  and  here  I  have 
purj)osely  left  a  blank,  for  the  reader  to  form  liis 
own  conclusion,  a  mere  technical  hiatus." 

So  it  comes  that  Verne's  prophecies  already 
spring  to  realization  on  every  side.  He  foresaw 
and  in  his  vivid  way  described  not  only  the  sub- 
marine, but  also,  in  his  "Steam-house,"  the  auto- 
mobile, in  liis  "Robur  the  Conqueror,"  the  aero- 
plane. Navigable  balloons,  huge  aerial  machines 
heavier  than  air,  the  telephone,  moving  pavements, 
stimulation  by  oxygen,  compressed  air,  compressed 
food,  all  were  existant  among  liis  clear-sighted 
visions.  And  to-day  as  we  read  those  even  bolder 
prophecies,  accounts  that  excited  only  the  laughter 
of  his  earlier  critics,  it  is  with  ever-increasing  won- 
der as  to  wliich  will  next  come  true. 

His  influence  has  been  tremendous,  not  only 


XI 


JULES    VERNE 


upon  story-telling,  but  upon  life.  One  French 
commentator  cries  with  profound  admiration  that 
Verne  "wholly  changed  the  conversation  of  the 
drawing-rooms."  Another,  with  perhaps  broader 
understanding,  declares  that  he  revolutionized  the 
thought  of  the  young  men  of  Iiis  earlier  days.  "He 
taught  us  that  the  forces  of  nature,  enemies  to  man 
in  his  ignorance,  stood  ready  to  be  our  servants 
once  we  had  learned  to  master  and  control  them." 
For  a  writer  so  much  read,  Jules  Verne  has  been 
very  little  talked  about.  His  personality  became 
submerged  in  his  work.  Moreover  he  was  not  a 
Parisian,  not  a  member  of  the  mutual  admiration 
club  which  exists  perforce  in  every  artistic  center, 
where  the  same  little  circle  of  able  men  constantly 
meeting,  and  writing  one  about  the  other,  impress 
all  their  names  upon  the  public.  Verne  early  with- 
drew from  the  turmoil  and  clamor  of  the  French 
capital  to  dwell  in  peace  at  Amiens.  To  ignore 
Paris,  to  withdraw  deliberatelv  from  its  already 

won  caresses!  Could  anv 
crime  have  been  more  heinous 
in  Parisian  eyes?  It  explains 
the  rancor  of  at  least  some  of 
the  French  critics  in  their  at- 
titude toward  our  author. 

Known  thus  only  through 
his  books,  yet  by  them  known 


Verne's  Tower  Workroom 


Xll 


JULES    VERNE 


so  universall}^  Verne  has  al- 
ready become  a  myth.  Leg- 
ends have  gathered  around 
his  form.  In  Germany  writers 
have  ponderously  explained 
— and  believed — that  he  was 
not  a  Frenchman  at  all,  but  a  -^ 
Jew,  a  native  of  Russian  Po- 
land. They  gave  him  a  birth- 
place, in  the  town  of  Plock, 
and  a  name,  Olshewitz,  of 
which  Vergne  or  Verne  was  The  saim  Michel 

only  a  French  translation,  since  both  words  mean 
the  alder  tree.  In  Italy  about  1886  the  report 
became  widespread  that  he  was  dead,  or  rather  that 
he  had  never  lived,  that  he  was  only  a  name  used 
in  common  by  an  entire  syndicate  of  authors,  wlio 
contributed  their  best  works  and  best  efforts  to 
popularize  the  series  of  books  whose  profits  they 
shared  in  common.  Even  in  France  itself  men 
learned  to  say,  for  the  sake  of  the  antithesis,  that 
tliis,  the  greatest  of  all  wnters  of  travel,  had  gained 
all  his  knowledge  out  of  books  and  never  himself 
had  traveled  beyond  Amiens. 

Lest  to  American  readers  also,  the  man,  the 
truly  lovable  man,  Verne,  should  become  wholly 
lost  behind  his  books,  let  us  make  brief  record  of 
liim  here.    He  was  born  in  Nantes,  the  chief  city  of 


XUl 


JULES    VERNE 

Brittany,  on  February  8,  1828.  His  father  was 
a  lawyer  in  good  circumstances,  and  Jules'  early 
training  was  also  for  the  law.  The  chief  pleasure 
of  his  youth  lay  in  a  battered  old  sailing  boat,  in 
which  he  and  his  brother  Paul,  taking  turns  at 
being  captain,  played  all  the  stories  of  the  sea,  and 
explored  every  reach  of  the  River  Loire,  even  down 
to  the  mighty  ocean.  That  sloop  still  echoes  through 
his  every  book. 

Sent  to  Paris  to  complete  his  studies,  Jules  soon 
drifted  away  from  the  law.  He  became  part  and 
parcel  of  all  the  Bohemian  life  of  Paris,  a  student, 
artist,  author,  poet,  clerking  all  day  that  he  might 
live  and  dream  and  scribble  all  the  night.  A  typi- 
cal "son  of  the  boulevards,"  they  called  him  in 
those  days.  He  became  a  close  friend  of  the 
younger  Dumas,  and  was  introduced  to  his  friend's 
yet  more  celebrated  father,  the  Alexander  Dumas 
of  romance.  The  father  guided  and  advised  him; 
the  son  collaborated  with  him  in  his  first  literary 
success — if  literarj^  it  can  be  called — a  little  one  act 
comedy  in  verse,  "Broken  Straws,"  produced  at  the 
"Gymnase"  in  1850.  Then  came  librettos  for  comic 
operas,  short  stories  for  little-known  story  papers; 
and  young  Verne  was  fairly  launched  upon  a  ca- 
reer of  authorship. 

In  1857  he  journeyed  eighty  miles  to  Amiens, 
so  the  story  is  told,  to  act  as  best  man  at  the  wed- 


XIV 


JULES    VERNE 

ding  of  a  friend.  Before  tliis  he  had  long  vowed 
himself  to  a  single  life.  Art,  he  said,  and  woman 
were  two  different  mistresses,  and  no  man  could 
truly  serve  both.  But  at  Amiens  he  arrived  late, 
the  bridal  party  was  already  gone,  and  no  one  was 
left  to  receive  the  laggard  but  a  sister  of  the  bride, 
a  young  widow  who  had  stayed  at  home  to  keep 
from  casting  her  gloom  upon  the  festivity.  Within 
the  hour  both  Jules  and  the  young  widow,  Mme. 
de  Vianne,  had  abandoned  all  their  former  views, 
and  recognized  each  other  as  life  companions.  This 
sounds  like  another  legend;  but  it  seems  well 
vouched  for.  Verne  married  Mme.  de  Vianne  "with- 
in the  year. 

In  1860  or  shortly  after,  Verne  met  the  one  other 
person  who  was  most  to  influence  liis  life,  the  great 
Parisian  publisher,  Hetzel,  who  had  issued  the 
works  of  Hugo,  of  Georges  Sand,  and  of  DeMus- 
set.  Hetzel,  who  had  been  in  exile  in  Brussels, 
returned  to  Paris  in  1860:  and  our  author  soon  be- 
gan writing  for  him.  The  two  became  warm  friends. 

Verne's  first  full  length  novel  or  story  was  issued 
by  Hetzel  in  1863.  This  epoch-making  book  was 
"Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon."  In  it  the  vounsf  au- 
thor  attained  for  the  first  time  his  characteristic 
vein  of  explorations  into  unknown  regions,  inter- 
mingling the  new  science  with  adventures  and  hero- 
ism as  old  as  man. 

XV 


JULES    VERNE 


The  book  was  a  tremendous  success.  The  whole 
world  read,  and  was  delighted.  Hetzel  started  a 
"Magazine  of  Education  and  Recreation,"  which 
was  chiefly  supported  by  Verne's  writings.  Author 

and  publisher  made  a  twen- 
ty year  contract,  under 
which  Verne  was  to  pro- 
duce two  books  a  year;  and 
being  thus  assured  of  finan- 
cial independence,  Verne  in 
1870  withdrew  with  his  wife 
to  her  native  Amiens.  There 
he  lived  in  quietude  for 
over  thirty-five  years,  until 
his  death. 

The  legend  that  he  never 
quitted  Amiens  at  all  is, 
however,  false.  Twice  at 
least  he  journeyed  to  the  British  Isles,  and  once, 
though  before  his  retirement  to  Amiens,  to 
America  and  once  to  Scandinavia.  Moreover 
his  youthful  love  for  sailing  clung  to  him.  In 
a  little  ten  ton  boat,  he  cruised  much  in  sum- 
mer along  the  French  coast;  and  later  in  life 
he  owned  a  handsome  hundred  foot  steam  yacht, 
the  "Saint  Michel,"  in  which  he  visited  Mediterra- 
nean Africa,  Malta  and  much  of  the  European 
coast. 


Verne's  Tombstone 


XVI 


JULES    VERNE 

Chiefly,  however,  Verne's  later  life  was  devoted 
to  his  books,  and  to  the  civic  world  of  Amiens.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  town  council,  an  active  and 
earnest  member,  who  won  the  devoted  regard  of 
his  fellow  townsmen. 

He  and  the  grand  cathedral  of  Amiens  were  the 
city's  twin  celebrities,  their  pictures  standing  side 
by  side  in  shop-windows  and  decorating  postal 
cards.  The  Verne  homestead  was  on  one  of  the 
principal  boulevards,  a  handsome  house  with,  at 
its  rear,  a  tow^er,  the  topmost  room  of  wliich  formed 
a  secluded  den  where  the  writer  worked. 

In  this  tower  room,  he  continued  steadily  pro- 
ducing his  stories.  As  far  back  as  1872  he  had  been 
a  candidate  for  the  celebrated  French  Academy, 
with  strong  chances  of  election.  But  the  Academy, 
while  it  crowned  Ms  individual  books,  refused  mem- 
bership to  their  author,  though  after  that  first  can- 
didacy he  in  the  course  of  liis  later  life  watched  the 
entire  membership  of  the  Academy  pass  and  be 
renewed  twice  over.  His  friends,  especially  his 
Amiens  townfolk,  declared  that  his  exclusion  was 
due  to  Parisian  jealousy,  and  that  the  Academy 
lost  far  more  honor  than  the  author  by  ignoring 
him.  "Paris,"  said  one  of  them,  "had  nothing 
worthy  of  this  great  man.  He  sought  a  place  for 
work;  Paris  offers  its  great  men  only  lounging 
places." 

xvii 


JULES    VERNE 

Yet,  in  no  spirit  of  unfciirness,  we  must  admit 
that  Jules  Verne's  claim  upon  the  Academy  rather 
decreased  with  added  years.  Most  of  his  later  books 
by  no  means  equal  his  earlier  ones.  A  man  over 
seventy  may  well  be  pardoned  if  he  no  longer 
writes  with  the  fresh  fanc}'^  and  confident  vigor  of 
thirty-five.  To  present  all  Verne's  later  work  to 
American  readers  would  be  fair  neither  to  the 
fame  of  the  author  nor  to  the  pocket  of  the  public. 
Therefore  a  labor  of  selection  has  been  necessary. 
All  the  works  that  have  made  Jules  Verne  beloved, 
all  that  present  his  imaginary  inventions,  his  pro- 
phecies of  the  future,  every  work  that  honest  critics 
have  thought  worth  preserving,  is  included  in  this 
edition.  It  presents  not  only  those  books  crowned 
by  the  French  Academy,  but  all  those  crowned  by 
the  verdict  of  that  final  judge,  that  best  of  judges 
when  long  years  run  full,  that  judge  to  whom  all 
our  work  must  be  submitted  in  the  end,  the  general 
public. 

To  them  this  work  is  dedicated. 


XVIIl 


CONTENTS 
Volume    Onk 

PAGB 

Jui.Es  Verne in 

Introduction 1 

A  Drama  in  the  Air 3 

The  Watch's  Soul 21 

A  Winter  in  the  Ice        .        .        .        .        .        .63 

The  Pearl  of  Lima 107 

The  Mutineers 159 

Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon 179 


II^IvUSTRATlONS 


Voi,ume;  One 

PAGB 

A  Dangerous  Moment 

Frontispiece 

The  Uprising           .         .         .         .         , 

176 

A  Mysterious  Rivai.       .         .         ,         . 

.     304 

Til 


INTRODUCTION  TO  VOLUME  ONE 

N  this  volume  are  included  Verne's  first  master- 
piece, "  Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon,"  and  also  all 
such  of  his  earlier  stories  as  he  himself 
thought  worth  preserving.  These  he  gathered 
in  later  years,  and  had  some  of  them  reissued 
by  his  Paris  publishers. 

"A  Drama  in  the  ^Air,"  was,  as  Verne  himself  tells  us, 
his  first  published  story.  It  appeared  soon  after  18^0  in  a 
little-known  local  magazine  called  the  "  Musee  des  Families.''' 
The  tale,  though  somewhat  amateurish,  is  very  character- 
istic of  the  master's  later  style.  In  it  we  can  see,  as  it  were, 
the  germ  of  all  that  was  to  follow,  the  interest  in  the  new 
advances  of  science,  the  dramatic  story,  the  carefully  col- 
lected knowledge  of  the  past,  the  infusion  of  instruction 
amid  the  excitement  of  the  tale. 

Similarly  we  find  "  A  Winter  in  the  Ice  "  to  be  a  not  un- 
worthy predecessor  of  "  The  Adventures  of  Captain  Hat- 
teras  "  and  all  the  author's  other  great  books  of  adventure 
in  the  frozen  world.  Here,  at  the  first  attempt,  a  vigorous 
and  imp.  ^ssive  story  introduces  ns  to  the  northland,  thor- 
oughly imderstood,  accurately  described,  vividly  appreciated 
and  pictured  forth  in  its  terror  and  its  mystery. 

"  The  Pearl  of  Lima  "  opens  the  way  to  all  those  stories 
of  later  novelists  wherein  some  ancient  kingly  race,  some 
forgotten  civilization  of  Africa  or  America,  reasserts  itself 
in  the  person  of  some  spectacular  descendant,  tragically 
matching  its  obscure  and  half-demonic  pozvers  against  the 
might  of  the  modern  world.  "  The  Mutineers  "  inaugurates 
our  author's  favorite  geographical  device.  It  describes  a 
remarkable  and  little-knozvn  country  by  having  the  char- 
^acters  of  the  story  travel  over  it  on  some  anxious  errand, 
tracing  their  progress  step  by  step. 


2  INTRODUCTION 

Thus,  of  these  five  early  tales,  "  The  Watch's  SouV  is 
the  only  one  differing  sharply  from  Verne's  later  work.  It 
is  allegorical,  supernatural,  depending  not  upon  the  scientific 
marvels  of  the  material  world,  but  upon  the  direct  inter- 
position of  supernal  powers. 

"  Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon,"  the  last  and  by  far  the  most 
important  story  in  this  volume,  is  Verne's  first  complete  and 
accepted  masterpiece.  This  book,  published  in  i86^  with- 
out preliminary  display,  made  the  author  instantly  a  central 
^figure  in  the  literary  world.  Like  Byron  he  awoke  one 
morning  and  found  himself  famous. 

Verne  told  his  friends  that  before  writing  this  book,  he 
had  no  knowledge  whatever  of  practical  ballooning.  In- 
deed the  balloon  was,  to  his  view,  quite  a  secondary  part  of 
the  tale.  Always  an  omnivorous  reader  of  works  of  travel, 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  writing  into  one  book  the  descrip- 
tions of  parts  of  Africa  gathered  from  the  accounts  of  the 
great  explorers.  These  men  he  regarded  as  heroes  of  the 
highest  type,  zvorthy  of  the  most  distinguished  honor;  and 
he  sought  to  honor  them. 

As  he  worked  over  the  tale,  the  possibilities  of  scientific 
and  even  more  of  dramatic  interest  to  be  gained  from  the 
balloon,  appealed  to  him  more  and  more.  To  his  friends  he 
confided  thut  he  had  conceived  an  idea  or  rather  a  combina- 
tion of  ideas  by  the  publication  of  which  he  hoped  he  might 
achieve  real  fame. 

He  was  right.  "  Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon  "  was  unique 
in  the  literature  of  the  day.  Its  success  was  as  immediate 
and  tremendous  as  it  was  deserved.  The  book  is  painstak- 
ingly accurate  in  its  following  of  the  descriptions  of  the  ex- 
plorers, a  truly  valuable  piece  of  geographical  work.  It  is 
almost  inspired  in  its  deductions  as  to  the  probable  character 
of  the  unknown  land  beyond  their  travels,  its  descriptions 
of  that  mysterious  heart  of  Africa  zvhich  even  yet  is  largely 
unexplored.  In  the  handling  of  the  fortunes  of  the  balloon 
and  the  balloonists,  the  elements  of  drama  and  suspense,  the 
book  is  an  acknowledged  masterpiece. 


A  Drama  in  the  Air 


N  the  month  of  September,  185 — ,  I  arrived 
at  Frankfort-on-the-Main.  My  passage 
through  the  principal  German  cities  had  been 
brilliantly  marked  by  balloon  accents;  but  as 
yet  no  German  had  accompanied  me  in  my 
car,  and  the  fine  experiments  made  at  Paris 
by  MM,  Greene,  Eugene  Godard,  and  Poitevin  had  not 
tempted  the  grave  Teutons  to  essay  aerial  voyages. 

But  scarcely  had  the  news  of  my  approaching  ascent 
spread  through  Frankfort,  than  three  of  the  principal 
citizens  begged  the  favor  of  being  allowed  to  ascend  with 
me.  Two  days  afterwards  we  were  to  start  from  the  Place 
de  la  Comedie.  I  began  at  once  to  get  my  balloon  ready. 
It  was  of  silk,  prepared  with  gutta  percha;  and  its  volume, 
which  was  three  thousand  cubic  yards,  enabled  it  to  ascend 
to  the  loftiest  heights. 

The  day  of  the  ascent  was  that  of  the  great  September 
fair,  which  attracts  so  many  people  to  Frankfort.  Lighting 
gas,  of  perfect  quality  and  great  lifting  power,  had  been 
furnished  me,  and  about  eleven  o'clock  the  balloon  was 
filled;  but  only  three-quarters  filled, — an  indispensable  pre- 
caution, for,  as  one  rises,  the  atmosphere  diminishes  in 
density,  and  the  fluid  enclosed  within  the  balloon,  acquiring 
more  elasticity,  might  burst  its  sides.  My  calculations  told 
me  exactly  the  quantity  of  gas  necessary  to  carry  up  my  com- 
panions and  myself. 

We  were  to  start  at  noon.  The  impatient  crowd  which 
pressed  around  the  enclosed  square,  overflowing  into  the 
contiguous  streets,  and  covering  the  houses  from  the  ground- 
floor  to  the  slated  gables,  presented  a  striking  scene. 

I  carried  three  hundred  pounds  of  ballast  in  bags;  the  car, 
quite  round,  four  feet  in  diameter,  was  comfortably  ar- 
ranged; the  hempen  cords  which  supported  it  stretched 
symmetrically  over  the  upper  hemisphere  of  the  balloon;  the 

3 


4  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

compass  was  in  place,  the  barometer  suspended  in  the  circle 
which  united  the  supporting  cords,  and  the  anchor  put  in 
order.     All  was  now  ready  for  the  ascent. 

Among  those  who  pressed  around  the  enclosure,  I  re- 
marked a  young  man  with  a  pale  face  and  agitated  features. 
The  sight  of  him  impressed  me.  He  was  an  eager  spectator 
of  my  ascents,  whom  I  had  already  met  in  several  German 
cities.  With  an  uneasy  air,  he  closely  watched  the  curious 
machine,  as  it  lay  motionless  a  few  feet  above  the  ground; 
and  he  remained  silent  among  those  about  him. 

Twelve  o'clock  came.  The  moment  had  arrived,  but  my 
traveling  companions  did  not  appear. 

I  sent  to  their  houses,  and  learnt  that  one  had  left  for 
Hamburg,  another  for  Vienna,  and  the  third  for  London. 
Their  courage  had  failed  them  at  undertaking  one  of  those 
excursions  which,  thanks  to  the  improvement  in  aeronautics 
are  free  from  all  danger.  As  they  formed,  in  some  sort,  a 
part  of  the  programme  of  the  day,  the  fear  had  seized  them 
that  they  might  be  forced  to  execute  it  faithfully,  and  they 
had  fled  far  from  the  scene  at  the  instant  when  the  balloon 
was  being  filled.  Their  heroism  was  evidently  in  inverse 
ratio  to  their  speed — in  decamping. 

The  multitude,  half  deceived,  showed  not  a  little  ill  humor. 
I  did  not  hesitate  to  ascend  alone.  In  order  to  re-establish 
the  equilibrium  between  the  specific  gravity  of  the  balloon 
and  the  weight  which  had  thus  proved  wanting,  I  replaced 
my  companions  by  more  sacks  of  sand,  and  got  into  the  car. 
The  twelve  men  who  held  the  balloon  by  twelve  cords,  let 
these  slip  a  little  between  their  fingers,  and  the  balloon  rose 
several  feet  higher.  There  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and 
the  atmosphere  was  so  laden  that  it  seemed  to  forbid  the 
ascent. 

"Is  everything  ready?"  I  cried. 

The  men  put  themselves  in  readiness.  A  last  glance  told 
me  that  I  might  go.     "  Attention !  " 

There  was  a  movement  in  the  crowd,  which  seemed  to  be 
invading  the  enclosure.  f 

"Let  go!"  • 

The  balloon  rose  slowly,  but  I  experienced  a  shock  which 
threw  me  to  the  bottom  of  the  car. 

When  I  got  up,  I  found  myself  face  to  face  with  an  un- 
expected fellow-voyager, — the  pale  young  man. 


I 


A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  5 

"  Monsieur,  I  salute  you,"  said  he,  with  utmost  coohiess. 

"  By  what  right " 

"Am  I  here?  By  the  right  which  the  impossibihty  of 
your  getting  rid  of  me  confers." 

I  was  amazed !  His  calmness  put  me  out  of  countenance, 
and  I  had  nothing  to  reply.  I  looked  at  the  intruder  but 
he  took  no  notice  of  my  astonishment. 

"  Does  my  weight  disarrange  your  equilibrium,  mon- 
sieur?"  he  asked.  "You  will  permit  me — "  and  without 
waiting  consent,  he  picked  up  two  bags  and  threw  them  into 
space. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  I,  taking  the  only  course  now  possible, 
"  you  have  come ;  very  well,  you  will  remain ;  but  to  me 
alone  belongs  the  management  of  the  balloon." 

"  Monsieur,"  said  he,  "  your  urbanity  is  French  all  over: 
it  comes  from  my  own  country.  I  morally  press  the  hand 
you  refuse  me.  Make  all  precautions,  and  act  as  seems 
best  to  you.     I  will  wait  till  you  have  done " 

"For  what?" 

"  To  talk  with  you." 

The  barometer  had  fallen  to  twenty-six  inches.  We  were 
nearly  six  hundred  yards  above  the  city;  but  nothing  be- 
trayed the  horizontal  displacement  of  the  balloon,  for  the 
mass  of  air  in  which  it  is  enclosed  goes  forward  with  it.  A 
sort  of  confused  glow  enveloped  the  objects  spread  out  un- 
der us,  and  fortunately  obscured  their  outline. 

I  examined  my  companion  afresh.  He  was  a  man  of 
thirty  years,  simply  clad.  The  sharpness  of  his  features 
betrayed  an  indomitable  energy,  and  he  seemed  very  muscu- 
lar. Indifferent  to  the  astonishment  he  created,  he  remained 
motionless,  trying  in  the  meantime  to  distinguish  the  objects 
below  us. 

"Miserable  mist!"  said  he,  after  a  few  moments. 

I  did  not  reply. 

"  You  owe  me  a  grudge?  "  he  went  on.  "  Bah !  I  could 
not  pay  for  my  journey,  and  it  was  necessary  to  take  you 
by  surprise." 

"  Nobody  asks  you  to  descend,  monsieur !  " 

"  Eh,  do  you  not  know,  then,  that  the  same  thing  hap- 
pened to  the  Counts  of  Laurencin  and  Dampierrc,  when 
they  ascended  at  Lyons,  on  the  15th  of  January,  1784?  A 
young  merchant,  named  Fontaine,  scaled  the  gallery,  at  the 


6  A   DRAMA   IN    THE   AIR 

risk  of  capsizing  the  machine.  He  accomplished  the 
journey,  and  nobody  died  of  it !  " 

"  Once  on  the  ground,  we  will  have  an  explanation,"  re- 
plied I,  piqued  at  the  light  tone  in  which  he  spoke. 

"  Bah !     Do  not  let  us  think  of  our  return." 

"  Do  you  think,  then,  I  shall  not  hasten  to  descend?  " 

"Descend!"  said  he,  in  surprise.  "Descend?  Let  us 
begin  by  first  ascending." 

And  before  I  could  prevent  it,  two  more  bags  had  been 
thrown  out  of  the  car,  without  even  having  been  emptied. 

"  Monsieur !  "  cried  I,  in  a  rage. 

"  I  know  your  ability,"  replied  the  unknown  quietly,  "  and 
your  fine  ascents  are  famous.  But  if  Experience  is  the 
sister  of  Practice,  she  is  also  a  cousin  of  Theory,  and  I  have 
studied  the  aerial  art  long.  It  has  got  into  my  head !  "  he 
added  sadly,  falling  into  a  silent  reverie. 

The  balloon,  having  risen  some  distance  farther,  now  be- 
come stationary.  The  unknown  consulted  the  barometer 
and  said,  "  Here  we  are,  at  eight  hundred  yards.  Men  are 
like  insects.  See !  I  think  we  should  always  contemplate 
them  from  this  height,  to  judge  correctly  of  their  propor- 
tions. The  Place  de  la  Comedie  is  transformed  into  an  im- 
mense ant-hill.  Observe  the  crowd  which  is  gathered  on  the 
quays ;  and  the  mountains  also  get  smaller  and  smaller.  We 
are  over  the  Cathedral.  The  Main  is  only  a  line,  cutting 
the  city  in  two,  and  the  bridge  seems  a  thread  thrown  be- 
tween the  two  banks  of  the  river." 

The  atmosphere  became  somewhat  chilly. 

"  There  is  nothing  I  would  not  do  for  you,  my  host," 
said  the  unknown.  "If  you  are  cold,  I  will  take  off  my 
coat  and  lend  it  to  you." 

"  Thanks,"  said  I  dryly. 

"  Bah !  Necessity  makes  law.  Give  me  your  hand.  I 
am  your  fellow-countryman;  you  will  learn  something  in 
my  company,  and  my  conversation  will  indemnify  you  for 
the  trouble  I  have  given  you." 

I  sat  down,  without  replying,  at  the  opposite  extremity 
of  the  car.  The  young  man  drew  a  voluminous  manuscript 
from  his  coat.     It  was  an  essay  on  ballooning. 

"  I  possess,"  said  he,  "  the  most  curious  collection  of  en- 
gravings and  caricatures  extant  concerning  aerial  manias. 
How  people  admired  and  scoffed  at  the  same  time  at  this 


A^   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  7 

precious  discovery!  We  are  happily  no  longer  in  the  age 
in  which  Montgolfier  tried  to  make  artificial  clouds  with 
steam,  or  a  gas  having  electrical  properties,  produced  by 
ihe  combustion  of  moist  straw  and  chopped-up-wool." 

"  Do  you  wish  to  depreciate  the  talent  of  the  inventors?  " 
I  asked,  for  I  had  resolved  to  enter  into  the  adventure. 
"  Was  it  not  good  to  have  proved  by  experience  the  pos- 
sibility of  rising  in  the  air?  " 

"  Ah,  monsieur,  who  denies  the  glory  of  the  first  aerial 
navigators?  It  required  imxmense  courage  to  rise  by  means 
of  those  frail  envelopes  which  only  contained  heated  air. 
But  I  ask  you,  has  the  aerial  science  made  great  progress 
since  Blanchard's  ascensions,  that  is,  since  nearly  a  century 
ago?     Look  here,  monsieur." 

The  unknown  took  an  engraving  from  his  portfolio. 

"  Here,"  said  he,  "  is  the  first  aerial  voyage  undertaken 
by  Pilatre  des  Rosiers  and  the  Marquis  d'Arlandes,  four 
months  after  the  discover)^  of  balloons.  Louis  XVI.  re- 
fused to  consent  to  the  venture,  and  two  men  who  were  con- 
demned to  death  were  the  first  to  attempt  the  aerial  ascent. 
Pilatre  des  Rosiers  became  indignant  at  this  injustice,  and, 
by  means  of  intrigues,  obtained  permission  to  make  the  ex- 
periment. The  car,  which  renders  the  management  easy, 
had  not  then  been  invented,  and  a  circular  gallery  was  placed 
around  the  lower  and  contracted  part  of  the  Montgolfier 
balloon.  The  two  aeronauts  must  then  remain  motionless 
at  each  extremity  of  this  gallery,  for  the  moist  straw  which 
filled  it  forbade  theni  all  motion.  A  chafing-dish  with  fire 
was  suspended  below  the  orifice  of  the  balloon;  when  the 
aeronauts  wished  to  rise,  they  threw  straw  upon  this  brazier, 
at  the  risk  of  setting  fire  to  the  balloon,  and  the  air,  more 
heated,  gave  it  fresh  ascending  power.  The  two  bold  travel- 
ers rose,  on  the  21st  of  November,  1783,  from  the  Muette 
Gardens,  which  the  dauphin  had  put  at  their  disposal.  The 
balloon  went  up  majestically,  passed  over  the  Isle  of  Swans, 
crossed  the  Seine  at  the  Conference  barrier,  and,  drifting  be- 
tween the  dome  of  the  Invalids  and  the  Military  School,  ap- 
proached the  Church  of  Saint  Sulpice.  Then  the  aeronauts 
added  to  the  fire,  crossed  the  Boulevard,  and  descended  be- 
yond the  Enfer  barrier.  As  it  touched  the  soil,  the  balloon 
collapsed,  and  for  a  few  moments  buried  Pilatre  des  Rosiers 
under  its  folds." 


8  A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

"  Unlucky  augury,"  I  said,  interested  in  the  story,  which 
affected  me  nearly. 

"  An  augury  of  the  catastrophe  which  was  later  to  cost 
this  unfortunate  man  his  life,"  replied  the  unknown  sadly. 
"  Have  you  never  experienced  anything  like  it?  " 

"  Never." 

"  Bah !  Misfortunes  sometimes  occur  un foreshadowed !  " 
added  my  companion.     He  then  remained  silent. 

We  were  drifting  southward,  and  Frankfort  had  already 
passed  from  beneath  us. 

"  Perhaps  we  shall  have  a  storm,"  said  the  young  man. 

"  We  shall  descend  before  that,"  I  replied. 

"  Better  to  ascend.  We  shall  escape  it  more  surely."  And 
two  more  bags  of  sand  were  hurled  into  space. 

The  balloon  rose  rapidly,  and  stopped  at  twelve  hundred 
yards.  I  became  colder;  and  yet  the  sun's  rays,  falling  up- 
on the  surface,  expanded  the  gas  within,  and  gave  it  a 
greater  ascending  force. 

"  Fear  nothing,"  said  the  unknown.  "  We  have  still 
three  thousand  five  hundred  fathoms  of  breathing  air.  Be- 
sides, do  not  trouble  yourself  about  what  I  do." 

I  would  have  risen,  but  a  vigorous  hand  held  me  to  my 
seat.     "  Your  name?  "  I  asked. 

"  My  name?     What  matters  it  to  you?  " 

"  I  demand  your  name !  " 

"  My  name  is  Erostratus  or  Empedocles,  whichever  you 
choose ! " 

This  reply  was  far  from  reassuring.  The  unknown,  be- 
sides, talked  with  such  strange  coolness  that  I  anxiously 
asked  myself  whom  I  had  to  deal  with. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  continued,  "  nothing  original  has  been 
imagined  since  the  physicist  Charles.  Four  months  after 
the  discovery  of  balloons,  this  man  had  invented  the  valve 
which  permits  the  gas  to  escape  when  the  balloon  is  too 
full,  or  when  you  wish  to  descend;  the  car,  which  aids  the 
management  of  the  machine ;  the  netting,  which  holds  the 
envelope  of  the  balloon,  and  divides  the  weight  over  its  whole 
surface;  the  ballast,  which  enables  you  to  ascend,  and  to 
choose  the  place  of  your  landing;  the  india-rubber  coating, 
which  renders  the  tissue  impermeable ;  the  barometer,  which 
shows  the  height  attained.  Lastly,  Charles  used  hydrogen, 
which,  fourteen  times  lighter  than  air,  permits  you  to  pene- 


A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  9 

trate  to  the  highest  atmospheric  regions,  and  does  not  ex- 
pose you  to  the  dangers  of  a  combustion  in  the  air.  On  the 
1st  of  December,  1783,  three  hundred  thousand  spectators 
were  crowded  around  the  Tuilleries.  Charles  rose,  and  the 
soldiers  presented  arms  to  him.  He  traveled  nine  leagues 
in  the  air,  conducting  his  balloon  with  an  ability  not  sur- 
passed by  modern  aeronauts.  The  king  awarded  him  a 
pension  of  two  thousand  livres;  for  then  they  encouraged 
new  inventions." 

The  unknown  now  seemed  to  be  under  the  influence  of 
considerable  agitation. 

"  See,  there  is  Darmstadt,"  said  he,  leaning  over  the  car. 
"Do  you  perceive  the  chateau?  Not  very  distinctly,  eh? 
What  would  you  have?  The  heat  of  the  storm  makes  the 
outline  of  objects  waver,  and  you  must  have  a  skilled  eye 
to  recognize  localities." 

"Are  you  certain  it  is  Darmstadt?  "  I  asked 

"  I  am  sure  of  it.  We  are  now  six  leagues  from  Frank- 
fort." 

"  Then  we  must  descend." 

"  Descend !  You  would  not  go  down  on  the  steeples," 
said  the  unknown,  with  a  chuckle. 

"  No,  but  in  the  surburbs  of  the  city." 

"  Well,  let  us  avoid  the  steeples !  " 

So  speaking,  my  companion  seized  some  bags  of  ballast. 
I  hastened  to  prevent  him;  but  he  overthrew  me  with  one 
hand,  and  the  unballasted  balloon  ascended  to  two  thousand 
yards. 

"  Rest  easy,"  said  he,  "  and  do  not  forget  that  Brioschi, 
Biot,  Gay-Lussac,  Bixio,  and  Barral  ascended  to  still 
greater  heights  to  make  their  scientific  experiments." 

"  Monsieur,  we  must  descend,"  I  resumed,  trying  to  per- 
suade him  by  gentleness.  "  The  storm  is  gathering  around 
us.     It  would  be  more  prudent " 

"  Bah !  We  will  mount  higher  than  the  storm,  and  then 
we  shall  no  longer  fear  it!  "  cried  my  companion.  "  What 
is  nobler  than  to  overlook  the  clouds  which  oppress  the 
earth?  Is  it  not  an  honor  thus  to  navigate  on  aerial  billows? 
The  greatest  men  have  traveled  as  we  are  doing.  The 
Marchioness  and  Countees  de  Montalembert,  the  Countess 
of  Podenas,  Mademoiselle  la  Garde,  the  Marquis  de  Mon- 
talembert, rose  from  the  Faubourg  Saint-Antoine  for  these 


10  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

unknown  regions,  and  the  Duke  de  Chartres  exhibited  much 
skill  and  presence  of  mind  in  his  ascent  on  the  15th  of  July, 
174.  At  Lyons,  the  Counts  of  Laurencin  and  Dampierre; 
at  Nantes,  M.  de  Luynes;  at  Bordeaux,  D'Arbelet  des 
Granges ;  in  Italy,  the  Chevalier  Andreani ;  in  our  own  time, 
the  Duke  of  Brunswick, — have  all  left  traces  of  their  glory 
in  the  air.  To  equal  these  great  personages,  we  must  pene- 
trate still  higher  than  they  into  the  celestial  depths!  To 
approach  the  infinite  is  to  comprehend  it !  " 

The  rarefaction  of  the  air  was  fast  expanding  the  hydro- 
gen in  the  balloon,  and  I  saw  its  lower  part,  purposely  left 
empty,  swell  out,  so  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  open 
the  valve;  but  my  companion  did  not  seem  to  intend  that  I 
should  manage  the  balloon  as  I  wished.  I  then  resolved 
to  pull  the  valve-cord  secretly,  as  he  was  excitedly  talking; 
for  I  feared  to  guess  with  whom  I  had  to  deal.  It  would 
have  been  too  horrible !  It  was  nearly  a  quarter  before  one. 
We  had  been  gone  forty  minutes  from  Frankfort;  heavy 
clouds  were  coming  against  the  wind  from  the  south,  and 
seemed  about  to  burst  upon  us. 

"  Have  you  lost  all  hope  of  succeeding  in  your  project?  " 
I  asked  with  anxious  interest. 

"  All  hope !  "  exclaimed  the  unknown  in  a  low  voice. 
"  Wounded  by  slights  and  caricatures,  these  asses'  kicks  have 
finished  me!  It  is  the  eternal  punishment  reserved  for  in- 
novators !  Look  at  these  caricatures  of  all  periods,  of  which 
my  portfolio  is  full." 

While  my  companion  was  fumbling  with  his  papers,  I 
had  seized  the  valve-cord  without  his  perceiving  it.  I 
feared,  however,  that  he  might  hear  the  hissing  noise,  like  a 
water-course,  which  the  gas  makes  in  escaping. 

"  How  many  jokes  were  made  about  the  Abbe  Miolan ! 
said  he.  "  He  was  to  go  up  with  Janninet  and  Bredin. 
During  the  filling  their  ballon  caught  fire,  and  the  ignorant 
populace  tore  it  in  pieces !  Then  this  caricature  of  *  curious 
animals '  appeared,  giving  each  of  them  a  punning  nick- 
name." 

I  pulled  the  valve-cord,  and  the  barometer  began  to  as- 
cend. It  was  time.  Some  far-off  rumblings  were  heard  in 
the  south. 

"  Here  is  another  engraving,"  resumed  the  unknown,  not 
suspecting  what  I  was  doing.     "  It  is  an  imemnse  balloon 


A"    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  ii 

carrying  a  ship,  strong  castles,  houses,  and  so  on.  The 
caricaturists  did  not  suspect  that  their  folhes  would  one  day 
become  truths.  It  is  complete,  this  large  vessel.  On  the 
left  is  its  helm,  with  the  pilot's  box;  at  the  prow  are  pleas- 
ure-houses, an  immense  organ,  and  a  cannon  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  or  the  moon;  above 
the  poop  there  are  the  observatory  and  the  balloon  long- 
boat; in  the  equatorial  circle,  the  army  barrack;  on  the  left, 
the  funnel;  then  the  upper  galleries  for  promenading,  sails, 
pinions;  below,  the  cafes  and  general  storehouse.  Observe 
this  pompous  announcement :  '  Invented  for  the  happiness 
of  the  human  race,  this  globe  will  depart  at  once  for  the 
ports  of  the  Levant,  and  on  its  return  the  programme  of  its 
voyages  to  the  two  poles  and  the  extreme  west  will  be  an- 
nounced. No  one  need  furnish  himself  with  anything; 
everything  is  foreseen,  and  all  will  prosper.  Thus  pleasure 
will  be  the  soul  of  the  aerial  company.'  All  this  provoked 
laughter;  but  before  long,  if  I  am  not  cut  off,  they  will  see 
it  all  realized." 

We  were  visibly  descending.     He  did  not  perceive  it! 

"  This  kind  of  '  game  at  balloons,'  "  he  resumed,  spreading 
out  before  me  some  of  the  engravings  of  his  valuable  col- 
lection, "  this  game  contains  the  entire  history  of  the  aero- 
static art.  It  is  used  by  elevated  minds,  and  displayed  with 
dice  and  counters,  with  whatever  stakes  you  like,  to  be  paid 
or  received  according  to  where  the  player  arrives." 

"  Why,"  said  I,  "  you  seem  to  have  studied  the  science  of 
aerostation  profoundly." 

"  Yes,  monsieur,  yes !  From  Phaeton,  Icarus,  Architas. 
I  have  searched  for,  examined,  learnt  everything.  I  could 
render  immense  services  to  the  world  in  this  art,  if  God 
granted  me  life.     But  that  will  not  be! " 

"Why?" 

"  Because  my  name  is  Empedocles,  or  Erostratus." 

Meanwhile,  the  balloon  was  happily  approaching  the 
earth ;  but  when  one  is  falling,  the  danger  is  as  great  at  a 
hundred  feet  as  at  five  thousand. 

"  Do  you  recall  the  battle  of  Fleurus?  "  resumed  my  com- 
panion, whose  face  became  more  and  more  animated.  "  It 
was  at  that  battle  that  Contello.  by  order  of  the  Government, 
organized  a  company  of  ballonists.  At  the  siege  of  Man- 
benge  General  Jourdan  derived  so  much  service  from  this 


12  A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

new  method  of  observation  that  Contello  ascended  twice  a 
day  with  the  general  himself.  The  communications  between 
the  aeronaut  and  his  agents  who  held  the  balloon  were  made 
by  means  of  small  white,  red,  and  yellow  flags.  Often  the 
gun  and  cannon  shot  were  directed  upon  the  balloon  when  he 
ascended,  but  without  result.  Where  General  Jourdan  was 
perparing  to  invest  Charleroi,  Contello  went  in  the  vicinity, 
ascended  from  the  plain  of  Jumet,  and  continued  his  ob- 
servations for  seven  or  eight  hours  with  General  Morlot, 
and  this  no  doubt  aided  in  giving  us  the  victory  of  Fleurus. 
General  Jourdan  publicly  acknowledged  the  help  which  the 
aeronautical  observations  had  afforded  him.  Well,  despite 
the  services  rendered  on  that  occasion  and  during  the  Bel- 
gian campaign,  the  year  which  had  seen  the  beginning  of 
the  military  career  of  balloons  saw  also  its  end.  The  school 
of  Meudon,  founded  by  the  Government,  was  closed  by 
Buonaparte  on  his  return  from  Egypt.  And  now,  what 
can  you  expect  from  the  new-born  infant?  as  Franklin  said. 
The  infant  was  born  alive;  it  should  not  be  stifled! " 

The  unknown  bowed  his  head  in  his  hands  for  some  mom- 
ents; then  rousing  himself,  he  said,  "Despite  my  prohibi- 
tion, monsieur,  you  have  opened  the  valve." 

I  dropped  the  cord. 

"  Happily,"  he  resum^ed,  "  we  have  still  three  hundred 
pounds  of  ballast." 

"  What  is  your  purpose?  "  said  I. 

"  Have  you  ever  crossed  the  seas  ?  "  he  asked. 

I  turned  pale. 

"It  is  unfortunate,"  he  went  on,  "that  we  are  being 
driven  towards  the  Adriatic.  That  is  only  a  stream;  but 
higher  up  we  may  find  other  currents." 

And,  without  taking  any  notice  of  me,  he  threw  over  sev- 
eral bags  of  sand;  then,  in  a  menacing  voice,  he  said,  "  I  let 
you  open  the  valve  because  the  expanding  gas  threatened  to 
burst  the  balloon ;  but  do  not  do  it  again !  " 

Then  he  went  on,  "  You  remember  the  voyage  of  Blanch- 
ard  and  Jeffries  from  Dover  to  Calais?  It  was  magnificent ! 
On  the  7th  of  January,  1785,  there  being  a  north-west  wind, 
their  balloon  was  inflated  with  gas  on  the  Dover  coast.  A 
mistake  of  equilibrium,  just  as  they  were  ascending,  forced 
them  to  throw  out  their  ballast  so  that  they  might  not  go 
down  again,  and  they  only  kept  thirty  pounds.     It  was  too 


A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  13 

little ;  for,  as  the  wind  did  not  freshen,  they  only  advanced 
very  solwly  towards  the  French  coast.  Besides,  the  per- 
meability of  the  tissue  served  to  reduce  the  inflation  little  by 
little,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half  the  aeronauts  perceived  that 
they  were  descending, 

"'What  shall  we  do?'  said  Jeffries. 

"  *  We  are  only  one  quarter  of  the  way  over/  replied 
Blanchard,  *  and  very  low  down.  On  rising,  we  shall  per- 
haps meet  more  favorable  winds.' 

"  *  Let  us  throw  out  the  rest  of  the  sand.' 

"  The  balloon  acquired  some  ascending  force,  but  it  soon 
began  to  descend  again.  Towards  the  m.iddle  of  the  transit 
the  aeronauts  threw  over  their  books  and  tools.  A  quarter 
of  an  hour  after,  Blanchard  said  to  Jeffries,  '  The  bar- 
ometer? ' 

"  *  It  is  going  up !  We  are  lost,  and  yet  there  is  the 
French  coast.' 

"  A  loud  noise  was  heard. 

"  *  Has  the  balloon  burst  ?  '  asked  Jeffries. 

"  *  No.  The  loss  of  the  gas  has  reduced  the  inflation  of 
the  lower  part  of  the  balloon.  But  we  are  still  descending. 
We  are  lost !    Out  with  everything  useless ! ' 

"  Provisions,  oars,  and  rudder  were  thrown  into  the  sea. 
The  aeronauts  were  only  one  hundred  yards  high. 

"  'We  are  going  up  agin,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  '  No.  It  is  the  spurt  caused  by  the  diminution  of  the 
weight,  and  not  a  ship  in  sight,  not  a  bark  on  the  horizon ! 
To  the  sea  with  our  clothing ! ' 

"  The  unfortunates  stripped  themselves,  but  the  balloon 
continued  to  descend. 

"  *  Blanchard,'  said  Jeffries,  *  you  should  have  made  this 
voyage  alone ;  you  consented  to  take  me ;  I  will  sacrifice  my- 
self!  I  shall  drop  into  the  water,  and  the  balloon,  relieved 
of  my  weight,  will  mount  again.' 

"*No,  no!  It  is  frightful!' 

"  The  balloon  became  less  and  less  inflated,  and  as  it 
doubled  up  its  concavity  pressed  the  gas  against  the  sides, 
and  hastened  its  downward  course. 

"  '  Adieu,'  said  the  doctor     *  God  preserve  you ! ' 

"  He  was  about  to  throw  himself  over,  when  Blanchard 
held  him  back. 

"  *  There  is  one  more  chance,'  said  he.     *  We  can  cut  the 


14  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

cords  which  hold  the  car,  and  chng  to  the  net !  Perhaps  the 
balloon  will  rise.  Let  us  hold  ourselves  ready.  But —  the 
barometer  is  going  down!  The  wind  is  freshening!  We 
are  saved ! ' 

"  The  aeronauts  perceived  Calais.  Their  joy  was  de- 
lirious. A  few  moments  more,  and  they  had  fallen  in  the 
forest  of  Guines.  I  do  not  doubt,"  added  the  unknown, 
"  that,  under  similar  circumstances,  you  would  have  fol- 
lowed Doctor  Jeffries'  example !  " 

The  clouds  rolled  in  glittering  masses  beneath  us.  The 
balloon  threw  large  shadows  on  them,  and  was  surrounded 
as  by  an  aureola.  The  thunder  rumbled  below  the  car.  All 
this  was  terrifying.     "  Let  us  descend !  "  I  cried. 

"Descend,  when  the  sun  is  up  there,  waiting  for  us? 
Out  with  more  bags !  " 

And  more  than  fifty  pounds  of  ballast  were  cast  over. 

At  a  height  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  yards  we  re- 
mained stationary.  The  unknown  talked  unceasingly.  I 
was  in  a  state  of  complete  prostration,  while  he  seemed  to 
be  in  his  element.  "  With  a  good  wind,  we  shall  go  far," 
he  cried.  "  In  the  Antilles  there  are  currents  of  air  which 
have  a  speed  of  a  hundred  leagues  an  hour.  When  Na- 
poleon was  crowned,  Garnerin  sent  up  a  balloon  with 
colored  lamps,  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  The  wind  was 
blowing  north-north-west.  The  next  morning,  at  daybreak, 
the  inhabitants  of  Rome  greeted  its  passage  over  the  dome  of 
St  Peter's.     We  shall  go  farther  and  higher !  " 

I  scarcely  heard  him.  Everything  whirled  around  me. 
An  opening  appeared  in  the  clouds. 

"  See  that  city,"  said  the  unknown.     "  It  is  Spires !  " 

I  leaned  over  the  car  and  perceived  a  small  blackish  mass. 
It  was  Spires.  The  Rhine,  which  is  so  large,  seemed  an  un- 
rolled ribbon.  The  sky  was  a  deep  blue  over  our  heads. 
The  birds  had  long  abandoned  us,  for  in  that  rarefied  air 
they  could  not  have  flown.  We  were  alone  In  space,  and  I 
in  the  presence  of  this  unknown ! 

"  It  is  useless  for  you  to  know  whither  I  am  leading  you," 
he  said,  as  he  threw  the  compass  among  the  clouds.  "  Ah! 
a  fall  is  a  grand  thing !  You  know  that  but  few  victims  of 
ballooning  are  to  be  reckoned,  from  Pilatre  des  Rosiers  to 
Lieutenant  Gale,  and  that  the  accidents  have  always  been 
the  result  of  imprudence     Pilatre  des  Rosiers  set  out  with 


A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  15 

Romain  of  Boulogne,  on  the  13th  of  June,  1785.  To  his 
gas  balloon  he  had  affixed  a  Montgolfier  apparatus  of  hot 
air,  so  as  to  dispense,  no  doubt,  with  the  necessity  of  losing 
gas  or  throwing  out  ballast.  It  was  putting  a  torch  under 
a  powder-barrel.  When  they  had  ascended  four  hundred 
yards,  and  were  taken  by  opposing  winds,  they  were  driven 
over  the  open  sea.  Pilatre,  in  order  to  descend,  essayed  to 
open  the  valve,  but  the  valve-cord  became  entangled  in  the 
balloon,  and  tore  it  so  badly  that  it  became  empty  in  an 
instant.  It  fell  upon  the  Montgolfier  apparatus,  overturned 
it,  and  dragged  down  the  unfortunates,  who  were  soon 
shattered  to  pieces!     It  is  frightful,  is  it  not?  " 

I  could  only  reply,  "  For  pity's  sake  let  us  descend! " 

The  clouds  gathered  around  us  on  every  side,  and  dread- 
ful detonations,  which  reverberated  in  the  cavity  of  the 
balloon,  took  place  beneath  us. 

"  You  provoke  me,"  cried  the  unknown,  "  and  you  shall 
no  longer  know  whether  we  are  rising  or  falling !  " 

The  barometer  went  the  way  of  the  compass,  accompanied 
by  several  more  bags  of  sand.  We  must  have  been  5000 
yards  high.  Some  icicles  had  already  attached  themselves 
to  the  sides  of  the  car,  and  a  kind  of  fine  snow  seemed  to 
penetrate  to  my  very  bones.  Meanwhile  a  frightful  tempest 
was  raging  under  us,  but  we  were  above  it. 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,"  said  the  unknown.  "  It  is  only  the 
imprudent  who  are  ^ost.  Olivari,  who  perished  at  Orleans, 
rose  in  a  paper  Montgolfier ; '  his  car,  suspended  below 
the  chafing-dish,  and  ballasted  with  combustible  materials, 
caught  fire;  Olivari  fell,  and  was  killed!  Mosment  rose, 
at  Lille,  on  a  light  tray;  an  oscillation  disturbed  his  equili- 
brium; Mosment  fell,  and  was  killed!  Bittorf,  at  Manu- 
heim,  saw  his  balloon  catch  fire  in  the  air;  and  he,  too,  fell, 
and  was  killed !  Harris  rose  in  a  badly  constructed  balloon, 
the  valve  of  which  was  too  large  and  would  not  shut;  Harris 
fell,  and  was  killed !  Sadler,  deprived  of  ballast  by  his  long 
sojourn  in  the  air,  was  dragged  over  the  town  of  Boston 
and  dashed  against  the  chimneys;  Sadler  fell,  and  was  killed! 
Cokling  descended  with  a  convex  parachute  which  he  pre- 
tended to  have  perfected;  Cokling  fell,  and  was  killed! 
Well,  I  love  them,  these  victims  of  their  own  imprudence, 
and  I  shall  die  as  they  did.     Higher !  still  higher !  " 

All  the  phantoms  of  this  necrology  passed  before  my 


i6  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

eyes.  The  rarefaction  of  the  air  and  the  sun's  rays  added 
to  the  expansion  of  the  gas,  and  the  balloon  continued  to 
mount.  I  tried  to  open  the  valve,  but  the  unknown  cut  the 
cord  several  feet  above  my  head.     I  was  lost. 

"  Did  you  see  Madame  Blanchard  fall  ?  "  said  he.  "  I 
saw  her;  yes,  I!  I  was  at  TivolJ,  on  the  6th  of  July,  1819. 
Madame  Blanchard  rose  in  a  small-sized  balloon,  to  avoid 
the  expense  of  filling,  and  she  was  forced  to  inflate  it  en- 
tirely. The  gas  leaked  out  below,  and  left  a  regular  train 
of  hydrogen  in  its  path.  She  carried  with  her  a  sort  of 
pyrotechnic  aureola,  suspended  below  her  car  by  a  wire, 
which  she  was  to  set  off  in  the  air.  This  she  had  done 
many  times  before.  On  this  day  she  also  carried  up  a  sm.all 
parachute  ballasted  by  a  firework  contrivance,  that  would 
go  off  in  a  shower  of  silver.  She  was  to  start  this  con- 
trivance after  having  lighted  it  with  a  port-fire  made  on  pur- 
pose. She  set  out;  the  night  was  gloomy.  At  the  mo- 
ment of  lighting  her  fireworks  she  was  so  imprudent  as  to 
pass  the  taper  under  the  column  of  hydrogen  which  was 
leaking  from  the  balloon.  My  eyes  were  fixed  upon  her. 
Suddenly  an  unexpected  gleam  lit  up  the  darkness.  I 
thought  she  was  preparing  a  surprise.  The  light  flashed 
out,  suddenly  disappeared  and  reappeared,  and  gave  the 
summit  of  the  balloon  the  shape  of  an  immense  jet  of  ignited 
gas.  This  sinister  glow  shed  itself  over  the  Boulevard  and 
the  whole  Montmarrte  quarter.  Then  I  saw  the  unhappy 
woman  rise,  try  twice  to  close  the  appendage  of  the  balloon, 
so  as  to  put  out  the  fire,  then  sit  down  in  her  car  and  try  to 
guide  her  descent;  for  she  did  not  fall.  The  combustion  of 
the  gas  lasted  for  several  minutes.  The  balloon,  becoming 
gradually  less,  continued  to  descend,  but  it  was  not  a  fall. 
The  wind  blew  from  the  north-west  and  drove  it  towards 
Paris.  There  were  then  some  large  gardens  just  by  the 
house  No.  16,  Rue  de  Provence.  Madame  Blanchard  es- 
sayed to  fall  there  without  danger;  but  the  ballon  and  the 
car  struck  on  the  roof  of  the  house  with  a  light  shock. 
'  Save  me ! '  cried  the  wretched  woman.  I  got  into  the 
street  at  this  moment.  The  car  slid  along  the  roof,  and  en- 
countered an  iron  cramp.  Madame  Blanchard  was  thrown 
out  of  her  car  and  precipitated  upon  the  pavement  She  was 
killed!" 

These  stories  froze  me  v;ith  horror.     The  unknown  was 

V.  I  Verne  i 


A   DRAMA   IN   THE   AIR  17 

standing  with  bare  head,  disheveled  hair,  haggard  eyes! 
There  was  no  longer  any  illusion  possible.  I  recognized 
the  horrible  truth.     I  was  in  the  presence  of  a  madman ! 

He  threw  out  the  rest  of  the  ballast,  and  we  must  have 
now  reached  a  height  of  at  least  nine  thousand  yards. 
Blood  spurted  from  my  nose  and  mouth ! 

"  Who  are  nobler  than  the  martyrs  of  science?  "  cried  the 
lunatic.     "  They  are  canonized  by  posterity." 

But  I  no  longer  heard  him.  He  bent  down  to  my  ear  and 
muttered,  "  And  have  you  forgotten  Zambecarri's  catas- 
trophe? Listen.  On  the  7th  of  October,  1804,  the  clouds 
seemed  to  lift  a  little.  On  the  preceding  days,  the  wind  and 
rain  had  not  ceased;  but  the  announced  ascension  of 
Zambecarri  could  not  be  postponed.  His  enemies  were  al- 
ready bantering  him.  It  was  necessary  to  ascend  to  save  the 
science  and  himself  from  becoming  a  public  jest.  It  was 
at  Boulogne.  No  one  helped  him  to  inflate  his  balloon. 
He  rose  at  midnight,  accompanied  by  Andreoli  and 
Grossetti.  The  balloon  mounted  slowly,  for  it  had  been 
perforated  by  the  rain,  and  the  gas  was  leaking  out.  The 
three  intrepid  aeronauts  could  only  observe  the  state 
of  the  barometer  by  aid  of  a  dark  lantern.  Zambecarri 
had  eaten  nothing  for  twenty-four  hours.  Grossetti  was 
also  fasting. 

"  *  My  friends,'  said  Zambecarri,  *  I  am  overcome  by  cold, 
and  exhausted.     I  am  dying.' 

"  He  fell  inanimate  in  the  gallery.  It  was  the  same  with 
Grossetti.  Andreoli  alone  remained  conscious.  After  long 
efforts,  he  succeeded  in  reviving  Zambecarri. 

"'What  news?  Whither  are  we  going?  How  is  the 
wind?     What  time  is  it?  ' 

"  *  It  is  two  o'clock.' 

"  *  Where  is  the  compass?  ' 

"  *  Upset ! ' 

"  *  Great  God !     The  lantern  has  gone  out ! ' 

"  *  It  cannot  burn  in  this  rarefied  air,"  said  Zambecarri. 

"  The  moon  had  not  risen  and  the  atmosphere  was  plunged 
in  murky  darkness.  "  *  I  am  cold,  Andreoli.  What  shall 
I  do?' 

"  They  slowly  descended  through  a  layer  of  whitish 
clouds.     *  Sh ! '  said  Andreoli.     *  Do  you  hear?  ' 

"  '  What  ?  '  asked  Zambecarri. 


i8  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

"  *  A  strange  noise/ 

"  *  You  are  mistaken.  Consider  these  travelers,  in  the 
middle  of  the  night,  listening  to  that  unaccountable  noise! 
Are  they  going  to  knock  against  a  tower?  Are  they  about 
to  be  precipitated  on  the  roofs?  'Do  you  hear?  One 
would  say  it  was  the  sea.' 

"'Impossible!' 

"  *  It  is  the  groaning  of  the  waves! ' 

"  '  It  is  true.' 

"  *  Light!  light! '  After  five  fruitless  attempts,  Andreoli 
succeeded  in  obtaining  light.     It  was  three  o'clock. 

"  The  voice  of  violent  waves  was  heard.  They  were  al- 
most touching  the  surface  of  the  sea !  '  We  are  lost ! '  cried 
Zambecarri,  seizing  a  bag  of  sand. 

"'Help! 'cried  Andreoli. 

"  The  car  touched  the  water,  and  the  waves  came  up  to 
their  breasts.     '  Throw  out  the  instruments,  clothes ! ' 

"  The  aeronauts  completely  stripped  themselves.  The 
balloon,  relieved,  rose  with  frightful  rapidity.  Zambecarri 
was  taken  with  vomiting.  Grossetti  bled  profusely.  The 
unfortunate  men  could  not  speak,  so  short  was  their  breath- 
ing. They  were  taken  with  cold,  and  they  were  soon  crusted 
over  with  ice.     The  moon  looked  as  red  as  blood. 

"  After  traversing  the  high  regions  for  a  half-hour,  the 
balloon  again  fell  into  the  sea.  It  was  four  in  the  morning. 
They  were  half  submerged  in  the  water,  and  the  balloon 
dragged  them  along,  as  if  under  sail,  for  several  hours. 

"  At  daybreak  they  found  themselves  opposite  Pesaro, 
four  miles  from  the  coast.  They  were  about  to  reach  it, 
when  a  gale  blew  them  back  into  the  open  sea.  They  were 
lost!  The  frightened  boats  fled  at  their  approach 
Happily,  a  more  intelligent  boatman  accosted  them,  hoisted 
them  on  board,  and  they  landed  at  Ferrada. 

"A  frightful  journey,  was  it  not?  But  Zambecarri  was 
a  brave  and  energetic  man.  Scarcely  recovered  from  his 
sufferings,  he  resumed  his  ascensions.  During  one  of  them 
he  struck  against  a  tree;  his  spirit-lamp  was  broken  on  his 
clothes ;  he  was  enveloped  in  fire,  his  balloon  began  to  catch 
the  flames,  and  he  came  down  half  consumed. 

"At  last,  on  the  21st  of  September,  1812,  he  made  an- 
other ascension  at  Boulogne.  The  balloon  clung  to  a  tree, 
and  his  lamp  again  set  it  on  fire.     Zambecarri  fell,  and  was 


A    DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR  19 

killed!  And  in  presence  of  these  facts,  we  would  still  hesi- 
tate !  No.  The  higher  we  go,  the  more  glorious  will  be  our 
death!" 

The  balloon  being  now  entirely  relieved  of  ballast  and  of 
all  it  contained,  we  were  carried  to  an  enormous  height.  It 
vibrated  in  the  atmosphere.  The  least  noise  resounded  in 
the  vaults  of  heaven.  Our  globe,  the  only  object  which 
caught  my  view  in  immensity,  seemed  ready  to  be  annihi- 
lated, and  above  us  the  depths  of  the  starry  skies  were  lost 
in  thick  darkness. 

I  saw  my  companion  rise  up  before  me. 

"  The  hour  is  come !  "  he  said.  "  We  must  die.  We  are 
rejected  of  men.  They  despise  us.  We  will  not  endure  it. 
Let  us  crush  them !  " 

"Mercy!"  I  cried. 

"  Let  us  cut  these  cords !  Let  this  car  be  abandoned  in 
space.  The  attractive  force  will  change  its  direction,  and 
we  shall  approach  the  sun !  " 

Despair  galvanized  me.  I  threw  myself  upon  the  mad- 
man, we  struggled  together,  and  a  terrible  conflict  took 
place.  But  I  was  thrown  down,  and  while  he  held  me  under 
his  knee,  the  madman  was  cutting  the  cords  of  the  car. 
"One!"  he  cried. 

"  My  God  1 " 

"Two!    Three!" 

I  made  a  superhuman  effort,  rose  up,  and  violently  re- 
pulsed the  madman. 

"Four!"  The  car  fell,  but  I  instinctively  clung  to  the 
cords  and  hoisted  myself  into  the  meshes  of  the  netting. 

The  madman  disappeared  in  space! 

The  balloon  rose  to  an  immeasurable  height.  A  hor- 
rible cracking  was  heard.  The  gas,  too  much  dilated,  had 
burst  the  balloon.     I  shut  my  eyes 

Some  instants  after,  a  damp  warmth  revived  me.  I  was 
in  the  midst  of  clouds  on  fire.  The  balloon  turned  over 
with  dizzy  velocity.  Taken  by  the  wind,  it  made  a  hundred 
leagues  an  hour  in  a  horizontal  course,  the  lightning  flashing 
around  it. 

Meanwhile  my  fall  was  not  a  very  rapid  one.  When  I 
opened  my  eyes,  I  saw  the  country.  I  was  two  miles  from 
the  sea,  and  the  tempest  was  driving  me  violently  towards 
it,  when  an  abrupt  shock  forced  me  to  loosen  my  hold.     My 


20  A   DRAMA    IN    THE   AIR 

hands  opened,  a  cord  slipped  swiftly  between  my  fingers, 
and  I  found  myself  on  the  solid  earth ! 

It  was  the  cord  of  the  anchor,  which,  sweeping  along  the 
sm-face  of  the  ground,  was  caught  in  a  crevice;  and  my  bal- 
loon, unballasted  for  the  last  time,  careered  off  to  lose  itself 
beyond  the  sea. 

When  I  came  to  myself,  I  was  in  bed  in  a  peasant's  cot- 
tage, at  Harderwick,  a  village  of  La  Gueldre,  fifteen  leagues 
from  Amsterdam,  on  the  shores  of  the  Zuyder-Zee. 

A  miracle  had  saved  my  life,  but  my  voyage  had  been  a 
series  of  imprudences,  committed  by  a  lunatic,  and  I  had  not 
been  able  to  prevent  them. 

May  this  terrible  narrative,  though  instructing  those  who 
read  it,  not  discourage  the  explorers  of  the  air. 


THE  END 


The  Watch's  Soul 

OR 

Master  Zacharius 


The  Watch's  Soul 

CHAPTER  I 
A  winter's  night 

TNjj^  HE  city  of  Geneva  is  situated  at  the  western  ex- 
\  tremity  of  the  lake  to  which  it  gives — or  owes 
p  — its  name.  The  Rhone,  which  crosses  the 
city  on  emerging  from  the  lake,  divides  it 
into  two  distinct  quarters,  and  is  itself  divi- 
ded, in  the  center  of  the  city,  by  an  island 
rising  between  its  two  banks.  This  topographical  situation 
is  often  to  be  observed  in  the  great  centers  of  commerce 
or  industry.  Doubtless  the  earliest  inhabitants  were  se- 
duced by  the  facilities  of  transportation  afforded  by  the 
rapid  arms  of  the  rivers, — >"  those  roads  which  advance 
of  themselves,"  as  Pascal  says.  In  the  case  of  the  Rhone, 
they  are  roads  which  run.  At  the  period  when  new  and 
regular  buildings  had  not  as  yet  been  erected  on  this  island, 
anchored  like  a  Dutch  galiot  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  the 
wonderful  mass  of  houses  huddled  the  one  against  the 
other  offered  to  the  eye  a  confusion  full  of  charms.  The 
small  extent  of  the  island  had  forced  some  of  these  build- 
ings to  perch  upon  piles,  fastened  pell-mell  in  the  strong 
currents  of  the  Rhone.  These  big  timbers,  blackened  by 
time  and  worn  by  the  waters,  looked  like  the  claws  of  an 
immense  crab,  and  produced  a  fantastic  effect.  Some  yel- 
lowed nets,  real  spiders'  webs  stretched  amid  these  vener- 
able substructures,  shivered  and  trembled  in  the  shade  as 
if  they  had  been  the  foliage  of  these  old  oaks,  and  the  river, 
engulfing  itself  in  the  midst  of  this  forest  of  piles,  foamed 
with  melancholy  groans. 

One  of  the  habitations  on  the  island  struck  the  observer 
by  its  strange  appearance  of  extreme  age.  It  was  the  resi- 
dence of  the  old  clockmaker.  Master  Zacharius,  his  daugh- 
ter Gerande,  Aubert  Thun,  his  apprentice,  and  his  old 
servant,  Scholastique. 

What  an  original  personage  was  this  Zacharius!  His 
age  seemed  incalculable.  The  oldest  inhabitants  of  Geneva 
could  not  have  told  how  long  his  lean  head  had  wavered  on 
his  shoulders,  nor  the  first  day  on  which  he  had  been  seen 

23 


24  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

walking  along  the  streets  of  the  town,  his  long  white  locks 
floating  waywardly  in  the  wind.  This  man  did  not  live. 
He  oscillated  after  the  manner  of  the  pendulums  of  his 
clocks.  His  features,  dry  and  cadaverous,  affected  somber 
tints.  Like  the  pictures  of  Leonardo  di  Vinci,  he  had  put 
black  in  the  foreground. 

Gerande  occupied  the  best  room  in  the  old  house ;  whence, 
through  a  narrow  window,  her  gaze  rested  sadly  upon  the 
snowy  summits  of  the  Jura.  But  the  bedroom  and  shop 
of  the  old  man  were  in  a  sort  of  cellar,  situated  on  a  level 
with  the  river;  the  flooring  rested  on  the  piles  themselves. 
From  an  immemorial  period  Master  Zacharius  had  not 
been  known  to  emerge  thence,  except  at  meal-time,  and 
when  he  went  forth  to  regulate  the  different  clocks  of  the 
city.  He  passed  the  rest  of  the  time  at  a  bench  covered 
with  numerous  clockmaking  instruments,  which,  for  the 
most  part,  he  had  himself  invented. 

For  he  was  a  man  of  talent.  His  works  were  very  popu- 
lar throughout  France  and  Germany.  The  most  indus- 
trious workmen  in  Geneva  freely  admitted  his  superiority, 
and  that  he  was  an  honor  to  the  city.  They  pointed  him 
put,  saying,  "  To  him  is  due  the  glory  of  having  invented 
the  escapement! " 

Indeed,  it  is  from  this  invention,  which  the  labors  of 
Zacharius  will  later  make  clear,  that  is  to  be  dated  the 
birth  of  the  real  science  of  clockmaking. 

One  winter's  evening  old  Scholastique  was  serving  sup- 
per, in  which,  according  to  ancient  usage,  she  was  aided 
by  the  young  apprentice.  Though  carefully  prepared 
dishes  were  offered  to  Master  Zacharius  in  fine  blue-and- 
white  porcelain,  he  ate  nothing.  He  scarcely  replied  to  the 
soft  questionings  of  Gerande,  who  was  visibly  affected  by 
the  gloomy  silence  of  her  father;  and  the  garrulousness  of 
Scholastique  herself  only  struck  his  ear  like  the  grumblings 
of  the  river,  to  which  he  no  longer  paid  attention.  After 
this  silent  repast  the  old  clockmaker  left  the  table  without 
embracing  his  daughter,  nor  did  he,  as  usual,  bid  the  rest 
*'  good-evening."  He  disappeared  through  the  narrow 
door  which  conducted  to  his  retreat,  and  the  staircase  fairly 
creaked  under  his  heavy  tread. 

Gerande,  Aubert,  and  Scholastique  remained  silent  for 
some   moments.     The   weather   was   gloomy;    the    clouds 


A    WINTER'S    NIGHT  25 

dragged  themselves  heavily  along  the  Alps,  and  threatened 
to  dissolve  in  rain;  the  severe  temperature  of  Switzerland 
filled  the  soul  with  melancholy,  while  the  midland  winds 
prowled  among  the  hills  and  whistled  drearily. 

"  Do  you  know,  my  dear  demoiselle,"  said  Scholastique 
at  last,  "  that  our  master  has  kept  wholly  to  himself  for 
some  days  ?  Holy  Virgin !  I  see  he  has  not  been  hungry, 
for  his  words  have  remained  in  his  stomach,  and  the  Devil 
himself  would  be  adroit  to  force  one  out  of  him!" 

"  My  father  has  some  secret  trouble  which  I  cannot  even 
guess,"  replied  Gerande,  a  sad  anxiety  betraying  itself  in 
her  countenance. 

"  Mademoiselle,  do  not  permit  so  much  sadness  to  over- 
shadow your  heart.  You  know  the  singular  habits  of  Mas- 
ter Zacharius.  Who  can  read  his  secret  thoughts  in  his 
face  ?  Something  annoying  has  no  doubt  happened  to  him, 
but  he  will  have  forgotten  it  by  to-morrow,  and  will  repent 
having  made  his  daughter  anxious." 

It  was  Aubert  who  spoke  thus,  glancing  at  Gerande's 
lovely  eyes.  Aubert  was  the  first  apprentice  whom  Master 
Zacharius  had  ever  admitted  to  the  intimacy  of  his  labors, 
for  he  appreciated  his  intelligence,  discretion,  and  goodness 
of  heart;  and  this  young  man  had  attached  himself  to 
Gerande  with  that  mysterious  faith  which  presides  over 
heroic  denouements. 

Gerande  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  The  oval  of  her 
face  recalled  that  of  the  artless  Madonnas,  whom  venera- 
tion still  displays  at  the  street  corners  of  the  antique  towns 
of  Brittany.  Her  eyes  betrayed  an  infinite  simplicity. 
She  was  beloved  as  the  most  delicate  realization  of  a  poet's 
dream.  Whilst,  night  and  morning,  she  read  her  Latin 
prayers  in  her  iron-clasped  missal,  Gerande  also  discovered 
a  hidden  sentiment  in  Aubert  Thun's  heart,  and  compre- 
hended what  a  profound  devotion  the  young  workman  had 
for  her.  Indeed,  the  whole  world  in  his  eyes  was  con- 
densed in  this  old  house  of  the  clockmaker,  and  he  passed 
all  his  time  near  the  young  girl,  when,  the  hours  of  work 
over,  he  left  her  father's  workshop. 

Old  Scholastique  saw  all  this,  but  said  nothing.  Her 
loquacity  exhausted  itself  in  preference  on  the  evils  of  the 
times,  and  the  little  worries  of  the  household.  Nobody 
tried  to  stop  its  course.     It  was  with  her  as  with  the  musi- 


26  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

cal  snuff-boxes  which  they  made  at  Geneva;  once  wound 
up,  unless  you  broke  her,  she  would  play  all  her  airs 
through. 

Finding  Gerande  absorbed  in  a  melancholy  silence, 
Scholastique  left  her  old  wooden  chair,  fixed  a  taper  on 
the  end  of  a  candlestick,  lit  it,  and  placed  it  near  a  small 
waxen  Virgin,  sheltered  in  her  niche  of  stone.  It  was  the 
family  custom  to  kneel  before  this  protecting  Madonna  of 
the  domestic  hearth,  and  to  beg  her  kindly  watchfulness 
during  the  coming  night;  but  on  this  evening,  Gerande  re- 
mained silent  in  her  seat. 

"  Well,  well,  dear  demoiselle,"  said  the  astonished 
Scholastique,  "  supper  is  over,  and  it  is  time  to  go  to  bed. 
Why  do  you  tire  your  eyes  by  sitting  up  late?  Ah,  Holy 
Virgin !  It  is  much  better  to  sleep,  and  to  get  a  little  com- 
fort from  happy  dreams!  In  these  detestable  times  in 
which  we  hve,  who  can  promise  herself  a  fortunate  day?  '* 

"Ought  we  not  to  send  for  a  doctor  for  my  father?" 
asked  Gerande. 

"  A  doctor !  "  cried  the  old  domestic.  "  Has  Master 
Zacharius  ever  listened  to  their  fancies  and  pompous  say- 
ings ?  He  might  accept  medicines  for  the  watches,  but  not 
for  the  body !  " 

"  What  shall  we  do  ?  "  murmured  Gerande.  "  Has  he 
gone  to  work,  or  has  he  retired?  " 

"  Gerande,"  answered  Aubert,  softly,  "  some  mental 
trouble  annoys  your  father,  and  that  is  all." 

"  Do  you  know  what  it  is,  Aubert  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,  Gerande." 

"  Tell  us,  then,"  cried  Scholastique,  eagerly,  prudently 
extinguishing  her  taper. 

"  For  several  days,  Gerande,"  said  the  young  apprentice, 
"  something  absolutely  incomprehensible  has  been  going 
on.  All  the  watches  which  your  father  has  made  and  sold 
for  some  years  have  suddenly  stopped.  Very  many  of 
them  have  been  brought  back  to  him.  He  has  carefully 
taken  them  to  pieces;  the  springs  were  in  good  condition, 
and  the  wheels  well  set.  He  has  put  them  together  yet 
more  carefully;  but,  despite  his  skill,  they  have  refused 
to  go." 

"  The  devil's  in  it!  "  cried  Scholastique. 

"Why  say  you  so?"  asked  Gerande.     "It  seems  very 


A   WINTER'S    NIGHT  27 

natural  to  me.  All  things  are  limited  in  the  world.  The 
infinite  cannot  be  fashioned  by  the  hands  of  men." 

"  It  is  none  the  less  true,"  returned  Aubert,  "  that  there 
is  in  this  something  very  mysterious  and  extraordinary. 
I  have  myself  been  helping  Master  Zacharius  to  search  for 
the  cause  of  this  derangement  of  his  watches;  but  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  it,  and  more  than  once  I  have  de- 
spairingly let  my  tools  fall  from  my  hands." 

"  But  why  undertake  so  vain  a  task?  "  resumed  Scholas- 
tique.  "  Is  it  natural  that  a  little  copper  instrument  should 
go  of  itself,  and  mark  the  hours?  We  ought  to  have  kept 
to  the  sun-dial !  " 

"  You  will  not  talk  thus,  Scholastique,"  said  Aubert, 
"  when  you  learn  that  the  sun-dial  was  invented  by  Cain." 

"  O  Lord !  what  are  you  telling  me  ?  " 

"  Do  you  think,"  asked  Gerande,  simply,  "  that  we  might 
pray  to  God  to  give  life  to  my  father's  watches?  " 

"  Without  doubt,"  replied  Aubert. 

"  Good !  These  will  be  useless  prayers,"  grumbled  the 
old  servant,  "  but  Heaven  will  pardon  them  for  their  good 
intent." 

The  taper  was  relighted.  Scholastique,  Gerande,  and 
Aubert  knelt  down  together  upon  the  flags  of  the  room. 
The  young  girl  prayed  for  her  mother's  soul,  for  a  bless- 
ing for  the  night,  for  travelers  and  prisoners,  for  the  good 
and  the  wicked,  and  more  earnestly  than  all  for  the  un- 
known misfortunes  of  her  father.  Then  the  three  devout 
souls  rose  with  somewhat  of  confidence  in  their  hearts,  for 
they  had  laid  their  sorrow  in  God's  bosom. 

Aubert  repaired  to  his  own  room ;  Gerande  sat  pensively 
by  the  window,  whilst  the  last  lights  were  disappearing 
from  the  city  streets.  The  terrors  of  this  winter's  night  had 
increased.  Sometimes,  with  the  whirlpools  of  the  river, 
the  wind  engulfed  itself  among  the  piles,  and  the  whole 
house  shivered  an  dshook;  but  the  young  girl,  absorbed  in 
her  sadness,  thought  only  of  her  father.  After  hearing 
what  Aubert  told  her,  the  malady  of  Master  Zacharius  took 
fantastic  proportions  in  her  mind ;  and  it  seemed  to  her  as 
if  his  dear  existence,  become  purely  mechanical,  moved  now 
with  pain  and  effort  on  its  exhausted  pivots. 

Suddenly  the  shutters,  impelled  by  the  squall,  struck 
against  the  windows  of  the  room.     The  young  girl  leaned 


28  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

out  of  the  window  to  draw  to  the  shutter  shaken  by  the 
wind,  but  she  feared  to  do  so.  It  seemed  to  her  that  the 
rain  and  the  river,  confounding  their  tumultous  waters, 
were  submerging  the  frail  house,  the  planks  of  which  were 
creaking  in  every  direction.  She  would  have  flown  from 
her  chamber,  but  she  saw  below  the  flickering  of  a  light 
which  appeared  to  come  from  Master  Zacharius's  retreat, 
and  in  one  of  those  momentary  calms,  during  which  the 
elements  keep  a  sudden  silence,  her  ear  caught  plaintive 
sounds.  She  tried  to  shut  her  window,  but  could  not. 
The  wind  violently  repelled  her,  like  a  villain  who  was  in- 
troducing himself  into  a  dwelling. 

Gerande  thought  she  would  go  mad  from  terror.  What 
was  her  father  doing?  She  opened  the  door,  and  it  es- 
caped from  her  hands,  and  shook  loudly  under  the  attack 
of  the  tempest.  Gerande  then  found  herself  in  the  dark 
supper-room,  succeeded  in  gaining,  on  tiptoe,  the  staircase 
which  led  to  her  father's  shop,  and,  pale  and  fainting, 
glided  down. 

The  old  watchmaker  was  upright  in  the  middle  of  the 
room,  which  was  filled  with  the  groans  of  the  river.  His 
bristling  hair  gave  him  a  sinister  aspect.  He  was  talking 
and  gesticulating,  without  seeing  or  hearing  anything.  Ge- 
rande arrested  her  steps  on  the  threshold 

"It  is  death!"  said  Master  Zacharius,  in  a  thick  voice; 
"  it  is  death !  Why  should  I  live  longer,  now  that  I  have 
dispersed  my  existence  over  the  earth?  For  I,  Master 
Zacharius,  am  really  the  creator  of  all  the  watches  that  I 
have  fashioned !  It  is  a  part  of  my  very  soul  that  I  have 
shut  up  in  each  of  these  boxes  of  iron,  silver,  or  gold! 
Every  time  that  one  of  these  accursed  watches  stops,  I  feel 
my  heart  cease  beating,  for  I  have  regulated  them  with  its 
pulsations ! " 

As  he  spoke  in  this  strange  way,  the  old  man  cast  his 
eyes  on  his  bench.  There  lay  all  the  pieces  of  a  watch  that 
he  had  carefully  taken  apart.  He  took  up  a  sort  of  hollow 
cyliiider,  called  a  barrel,  in  which  the  spring  is  enclosed, 
and  removed  the  steel  spiral,  which,  instead  of  relaxing 
itself,  according  to  the  laws  of  its  elasticity,  remained 
coiled  on  itself,  like  a  sleeping  viper.  It  seemed  knotted, 
like  those  impotent  old  men  whose  blood  has  long  been 
congealed.     Master  Zachari'vs  vainly  essayed  to  uncoil  it 


A   WINTER'S    NIGHT  29 

with  his  thin  fingers,  the  outHnes  of  which  were  exaggerated 
on  the  wall ;  but  he  tried  in  vain,  and  soon,  with  a  terrible 
cry  of  anguish  and  rage,  he  threw  it  through  the  peephole 
into  the  boiling  Rhone. 

Gerande,  her  feet  riveted  to  the  floor,  stood  breathless 
and  motionless.  She  wished  to  approach  her  father,  but 
could  not.  Giddy  hallucinations  took  possession  of  her. 
Suddenly  she  heard,  in  the  shade,  a  voice  murmur  in  her 
ears,  "  Gerande,  dear  Gerande!  grief  still  keeps  you  awake! 
Go  in  again,  I  beg  of  you;  the  night  is  cold." 

"  Aubert !  "  whispered  the  young  girl.     "  You !  " 

"  Ought  I  not  to  be  disturbed  by  what  disturbs  you  ?  '* 

These  soft  words  sent  the  blood  back  into  the  young  girl's 
heart.  She  leaned  on  Aubert's  arm,  and  said  to  him,  "  My 
father  is  very  ill,  Aubert!  You  alone  can  cure  him,  for 
this  disorder  of  the  mind  would  not  yield  to  his  daughter's 
consolings.  His  mind  is  attacked  by  a  very  natural  de- 
lusion, and  in  working  with  him,  repairing  the  watches,  you 
will  bring  him  back  to  reason.  Aubert,"  she  continued, 
"  it  is  not  true,  is  it,  that  his  life  confounds  itself  with  that 
of  his  watches  ?  " 

Aubert  did  not  reply. 

**  Then  it  must  be  a  calling  reproved  of  God — that  of 
my  father  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,"  returned  the  apprentice,  warming  the 
cold  hands  of  the  girl  with  his  own.  "  But  go  back  to  your 
room,  my  poor  Gerande,  and  with  sleep  recover  hope ! " 

Gerande  slowly  returned  to  her  chamber,  and  remained 
there  till  daylight;  sleep  did  not  weigh  down  her  eyelids. 
Meanwhile,  Master  Zacharius,  always  mute  and  motionless, 
gazed  at  the  river  as  it  railed  turbently  at  his  feet. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   PRIDE   OF    SCIENCE 

The  severity  of  a  Geneva  merchant  in  business  matters 
has  become  proverbial.  He  is  rigidly  honorable,  and  ex- 
cessively just.  What  must,  then,  have  been  the  shame  of 
Master  Zacharius,  when  he  saw  these  watches,  which  he 
had  so  carefully  constructed,  returning  to  him  from  every 
direction  ? 


30  THE    WATCH'S    SOUL 

It  was  certain  that  these  watches  had  suddenly  stopped, 
and  without  any  apparent  reason.  The  wheels  were  in  a 
good  condition  and  firmly  fixed,  but  the  springs  had  lost 
all  elasticity.  Vainly  did  the  watchmaker  try  to  replace 
them;  the  wheels  remained  motionless.  These  unaccount- 
able derangements  were  greatly  to  the  old  man's  discredit. 
His  noble  inventions  had  many  times  brought  upon  him 
suspicions  of  sorcery,  which  now  seemed  confirmed. 
These  rumors  reached  Gerande,  and  she  often  trembled  for 
her  father,  when  she  saw  the  malicious  glances  directed  to- 
wards him. 

Yet  on  the  morning  after  this  night  of  anguish,  Master 
Zacharius  seemed  to  resume  work  with  some  confidence. 
The  morning  sun  inspired  him  with  some  courage.  Aubert 
hastened  to  join  him  in  the  shop,  and  received  an  affable 
"  good-day." 

"  I  am  getting  on  better,"  said  the  old  man.  "  I  don't 
know  what  strange  troubles  of  the  head  attacked  me  yester- 
day, but  the  sun  has  quite  chased  them  away,  with  the 
clouds  of  the  night." 

"  In  faith,  master,"  returned  Aubert,  "  I  don't  like  the 
night  for  either  of  us ! " 

"  And  thou  art  right,  Aubert.  If  you  ever  become  a 
superior  man,  you  will  understand  that  day  is  as  necessary 
to  you  as  food.  A  man  of  merit  owes  himself  to  the 
homage  of  the  rest  of  mankind  who  recognize  his 
worth." 

"  Master,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  pride  of  science  has 
possessed  you." 

"  Pride,  Aubert !  Destroy  my  past,  annihilate  my  pres- 
ent, dissipate  my  future,  and  then  it  will  be  permitted  to 
me  to  live  in  obscurity!  Poor  boy,  who  comprehends  not 
the  sublime  things  to  which  my  art  is  wholly  devoted! 
Art  thou  not  but  a  tool  in  my  hands?  " 

"  Yet,  Master  Zacharius,"  resumed  Aubert,  "  I  have 
more  than  once  merited  your  praise  for  the  manner  in 
which  I  adjusted  the  most  delicate  pieces  of  your  watches 
and  clocks." 

"  No  doubt,  Aubert ;  thou  art  a  good  workman,  such  as 
I  love;  but  when  thou  workest,  thou  thinkest  thou  hast  in 
thy  hands  but  copper,  silver,  gold;  thou  dost  not  perceive 
these  metals,   which  my  genius  animates,  palpitating  like 


THE   PRIDE   OF   SCIENCE  31 

living  flesh!  Thus  thou  wouldst  not  die,  with  the  death 
of  thy  works !  " 

Master  Zacharius  remained  silent  after  these  words; 
but  Aubert  essayed  to  keep  up  the  conversation.  "  In- 
deed, master,"  said  he,  "  I  love  to  see  you  work  so  unceas- 
ingly! You  will  be  ready  for  the  festival  of  our  corpora- 
tion, for  I  see  that  the  work  on  this  crystal  watch  is  going 
forward  famously." 

"  No  doubt,  Aubert/'  cried  the  old  watchmaker,  "  and  it 
will  be  no  slight  honor  for  me  to  have  been  able  to  cut  and 
shape  the  crystal  to  the  durability  of  a  diamond!  Ah, 
Louis  Berghen  did  well  to  perfect  the  art  of  diamond-cut- 
ting, which  has  enabled  me  to  polish  and  pierce  the  hardest 
stones !  " 

Master  Zacharius  was  holding  several  small  watch  pieces 
of  cut  crystal,  and  of  exquisite  workmanship.  The  wheels, 
pivots,  and  box  of  the  watch  were  of  the  same  material, 
and  he  had  employed  remarkable  skill  in  this  very  difficult 
task.  "  Would  it  not  be  fine,"  said  he,  his  face  flushing, 
"  to  see  this  watch  palpitating  beneath  its  transparent  en- 
velope, and  to  be  able  to  count  the  very  beatings  of  its 
heart?" 

"  I  will  wager,  sir,"  replied  the  young  apprentice,  "  that 
it  will  not  vary  a  second  in  a  year." 

"  And  you  would  wager  on  a  certainty !  Have  I  not 
imparted  to  it  all  that  is  purest  of  myself?  And  does  my 
heart  itself  vary?  " 

Aubert  did  not  dare  to  lift  his  eyes  to  his  master's  trans- 
figured face. 

"  Tell  me  frankly,"  said  the  old  man,  sadly.  "  Have 
you  never  taken  me  for  a  fool?  Do  you  not  think  me 
sometimes  subject  to  dangerous  folly?  Yes;  is  it  not? 
In  my  daughter's  eyes  and  yours,  I  have  often  read  my 
condemnation.  Oh!"  he  cried,  as  if  in  pain,  "to  be  not 
understood  by  those  whom  one  most  loves  in  the  world! 
But  I  will  prove  victoriously  to  thee,  Aubert,  that  I  am 
right!  Do  not  bow  thy  head,  for  thou  wilt  be  stupefied. 
The  day  on  which  thou  understandest  how  to  listen  to  and 
comprehend  me,  thou  wilt  see  that  I  have  discovered  the 
secrets  of  existence,  the  secrets  of  the  mysterious  union  of 
the  soul  with  the  bodv !  " 

As  he  spoke  thus,  Master  Zacharius  appeared  superb  in 


32  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

his  vanity.  His  eyes  glittered  with  a  supernatural  fire, 
and  his  pride  illumined  every  feature.  And  truly,  if  ever 
vanity  was  excusable,  it  was  such  vanity  as  that  of  Master 
Zacharius ! 

The  watchmaker's  art,  indeed,  down  to  his  time,  had  re- 
mained almost  in  its  infancy.  From  the  day  when  Plato, 
four  centuries  before  the  Christian  era,  invented  the  night 
watch,  a  sort  of  clepsydra  which  indicated  the  hours  of  the 
night  by  the  sound  and  playing  of  a  flute,  the  science  had 
continued  nearly  stationary.  The  masters  paid  more  at- 
tention to  the  arts  than  to  mechanics,  and  it  was  the  period 
of  beautiful  watches  of  iron,  copper,  wood,  silver,  which 
were  richly  engraved,  like  one  of  Cellini's  ewers.  They 
made  a  masterpiece  of  chasing,  which  measured  time  very 
imperfectly,  but  was  still  a  masterpiece.  When  the  artist's 
imagination  was  not  directed  to  the  perfection  of  modeling, 
it  sought  to  create  clocks  with  moving  figures  and  melodious 
sounds,  which  were  put  in  operation  in  a  very  diverting 
fashion.  Besides,  who  troubled  himself,  in  those  days, 
with  regulating  the  advance  of  the  hours?  The  delays  of 
the  law  were  not  as  yet  invented;  the  physical  and  astro- 
nomical sciences  had  not  as  yet  established  their  calcula- 
tions on  scrupulously  exact  measurements;  there  were 
neither  establishments  which  were  shut  at  a  given  hour, 
nor  trains  which  departed  at  a  precise  moment.  In  the 
evening  the  curfew  bell  sounded;  and  at  night  the  hours 
were  cried  amid  the  universal  silence.  Certainly  people 
did  not  live  so  long,  if  existence  is  measured  by  the  amount 
of  business  done;  but  they  lived  better.  The  mind  was 
enriched  with  the  noble  sentiments  born  of  the  contempla- 
tion of  masterpieces.  They  built  a  church  in  two  centu- 
ries, a  painter  painted  but  few  pictures  in  the  course  of 
his  life,  a  poet  only  composed  one  great  work;  but  these 
were  so  many  masterpieces. 

When  the  exact  sciences  began  at  last  to  make  some  prog- 
ress, watch  and  clock  making  followed  in  their  path,  though 
it  was  always  arrested  by  an  insurmountable  difficulty, — 
the  regular  and  continuous  measurement  of  time. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  stagnation  that  Master 
Zacharius  invented  the  escapement,  which  enabled  him  to 
obtain  a  mathematical  regularity  by  submitting  the  move- 
ment of  the  pendulum  to  a  constant  force.     This  invention 

V.  1  Verne 


THE    PRIDE    OF    SCIENCE  33 

had  turned  the  old  man's  head.  Pride,  swelhng  in  his 
heart,  hke  mercury  in  the  thermometer,  had  attained  the 
height  of  transcendent  folly.  By  analogy  he  had  allowed 
himself  to  be  drawn  to  materialistic  conclusions,  and  as  he 
constructed  his  watches,  he  fancied  that  he  had  surprised 
the  hitherto  undiscovered  secrets  of  the  union  of  the  soul 
with  the  body. 

So  it  was  that,  on  this  day,  perceiving  that  A'ubert  lis- 
tened to  him  attentively,  he  said  to  him  in  a  tone  of  simple 
conviction,  "Dost  thou  know  what  life  is,  my  child? 
Hast  thou  comprehended  the  action  of  those  springs  which 
produce  existence?  Hast  thou  examined  thyself?  No; 
and  yet,  with  the  eyes  of  science,  thou  mightst  have  seen 
the  intimate  relation  which  exists  between  God's  work  and 
my  own,  for  it  is  from  his  creature  that  I  have  copied  the 
combinations  of  the  wheels  of  my  clocks." 

"  Master,"  replied  Aubert,  eagerly,  *'  can  you  compare 
a  copper  or  steel  machine  with  that  breath  of  God  which  is 
called  the  soul,  which  animates  our  bodies,  as  the  breeze 
lends  motion  to  the  flowers?  What  mechanism  could  be 
so  adjusted  as  to  inspire  us  with  thought?  " 

"  That  is  not  the  question,"  responded  Master  Zacharius, 
gently,  but  with  all  the  obstinacy  of  a  blind  man  walking 
towards  an  abyss,  "  In  order  to  understand  me,  thou 
must  recall  the  object  of  the  escapement  which  I  have  in- 
vented. When  I  saw  the  irregular  working  of  clocks,  I 
understood  that  the  movements  shut  up  in  them  did  not 
suffice,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  submit  them  to  the 
regularity  of  some  independent  force.  I  then  tliought  that 
the  balance-wheel  might  accomplish  this,  and  I  succeeded 
in  regulating  the  movement!  Now,  was  it  not  a  sublime 
idea  that  came  to  me,  to  return  to  it  its  lost  force  by  the 
action  of  the  clock  itself,  which  it  was  charged  with  regu- 
lating?" 

Aubert  assented  by  a  motion. 

"  Now,  Aubert,"  continued  the  old  man,  growing  ani- 
mated, "cast  thine  eyes  upon  thyself!  Dost  thou  not  un- 
derstand that  there  are  two  distinct  forces  in  us,  that  of  the 
soul  and  that  of  the  body,  that  is,  a  movement  and  a  regu- 
lator? The  soul  is  the  principle  of  life;  that  is,  then,  the 
movement.  Whether  it  is  produced  by  a  w^eight,  by  a 
spring,  or  by  an  immaterial  influence,  it  is  none  the  less 


34  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

at  the  heart.  But  without  the  body  this  movement  would 
be  unequal,  irregular,  impossible!  Thus  the  body  regu- 
lates the  soul,  and,  like  the  balance-wheel,  it  is  submitted  to 
regular  oscillations.  And  this  is  so  true,  that  one  falls  ill 
when  one's  drink,  food,  sleep — in  a  word,  the  functions  of 
the  body — are  not  properly  regulated !  As  in  my  watches, 
the  soul  renders  to  the  body  the  force  lost  by  its  oscilla- 
tions. Well,  what  produces  this  intimate  union  between 
soul  and  body,  if  not  a  marvelous  escapement,  by  which 
the  wheels  of  the  one  work  into  the  wheels  of  the  other? 
This  is  what  I  have  divined,  applied;  and  there  are  no 
longer  any  secrets  for  me  in  this  life,  which  is,  after  all, 
but  an  ingenious  mechanism !  " 

Master  Zacharius  was  sublime  to  see  in  this  hallucina- 
tion, which  transported  him  to  the  ultimate  mysteries  of 
the  infinite.  But  his  daughter  Gerande,  standing  on  the 
threshold  of  the  door,  had  heard  all.  She  rushed  into  her 
father's  arms,  and  he  pressed  her  convulsively  to  his  breast. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  thee,  my  daughter?"  he 
asked. 

"HI  had  only  a  spring  here,"  said  she,  putting  her 
hand  on  her  heart,  "  I  would  not  love  you  as  I  do,  my 
father." 

Master  Zacharius  looked  intently  at  Gerande,  and  did 
not  reply.  Suddenly  he  uttered  a  cry,  carried  his  hand 
eagerly  to  his  heart,  and  fell  fainting  on  his  old  leathern 
chair. 

"  Father,  what  is  the  matter?" 

"  Help !  "  cried  Aubert.     "  Scholastique !  " 

But  Scholastique  did  not  come  at  once.  Someone  was 
knocking  at  the  front  door;  she  had  gone  to  open  it,  and 
when  she  returned  to  the  shop,  before  she  could  open  her 
mouth,  the  old  watchmaker,  having  recovered  his  senses, 
spoke :  "  I  divine,  my  old  Scholastique,  that  you  bring  me 
still  another  of  those  accursed  watches  which  have 
stopped." 

"  O  Lord,  it  is  true  enough !  "  replied  Scholastique,  hand- 
ing a  watch  to  Aubert. 

"  My  heart  could  not  be  mistaken ! "  said  the  old  man, 
with  a  sigh. 

Aubert  carefully  adjusted  the  watch,  but  it  would  not  go. 


CHAPTER  III 

A  STRANGE  VISIT 

Poor  Gerande  would  have  lost  her  life  with  that  of  her 
father,  had  it  not  been  for  the  thought  of  Aubert,  who  still 
attached  her  to  the  world.  The  old  watchmaker  was,  little 
by  little,  passing  away.  His  faculties  evidently  grew  more 
feeble,  as  he  concentrated  thera  on  a  single  thought.  By 
a  sad  association  of  ideas,  he  referred  everything  to  his 
monomania,  and  human  existence  seemed  to  have  departed 
from  him.  Moreover,  certain  malicious  rivals  revived 
the  hostile  rumors  which  had  spread  concerning  his  labors. 

The  news  of  the  strange  derangements  which  his  watches 
betrayed  had  a  prodigious  effect  upon  the  master  clockma- 
kers  of  Geneva.  What  signified  this  sudden  inertia  of 
their  wheels,  and  why  these  strange  relations  which  they 
seemed  to  have  with  the  old  man's  life?  These  were  the 
kind  of  mysteries  which  people  never  contemplate  without  a 
secret  terror.  In  the  various  classes  of  the  town,  from  the 
apprentices  to  the  great  lords  who  used  his  watches,  there 
was  no  one  who  could  not  himself  judge  of  the  singularity 
of  the  fact.  The  citizens  wished,  but  in  vain,  to  penetrate 
to  Master  Zacharius.  He  fell  very  ill;  and  this  enabled 
his  daughter  to  withdraw  him  from  incessant  visits,  which 
thereupon  degenerated  into  reproaches  and  recriminations. 

Medicines  and  physicians  were  powerless  in  presence  of 
this  organic  wasting  away,  the  cause  of  which  could  not  be 
discovered.  It  sometimes  seemed  as  if  the  old  man's  heart 
had  ceased  to  beat;  then  the  pulsations  were  resumed  with 
an  alarming  irregularity. 

A  custom  existed,  in  those  days,  of  submitting  the  works 
of  the  masters  to  the  judgment  of  the  people.  The  heads 
of  the  various  corporations  sought  to  distinguish  themselves 
by  the  novelty  or  the  perfection  of  their  productions,  and 
it  was  among  these  that  the  condition  of  Master  Zacharius 
excited  the  most  lively,  because  most  interested,  commiser- 
ation. His  rivals  pitied  him  the  more  willingly,  the  less 
he  was  to  be  feared.  They  never  forgot  the  old  man's  suc- 
cess, when  he  exhibited  his  magnificent  clocks  with  moving 
figures,  his  striking  watches,  which  provoked  the  general 
admiration,  and  commanded  such  high  prices  in  the  cities 
of  France,  Switzerland,  and  Germany. 

Meanwhile,  thanks  to  the  constant  and  tender  care  of 

35 


36  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

Gerande  and  A'ubert,  his  strength  seemed  to  return  a  Httle, 
and  in  the  tranquihty  in  which  his  convalescence  left  him, 
he  succeeded  in  detaching  himself  from  the  thoughts  which 
had  absorbed  him.  As  soon  as  he  could  walk,  his  daughter 
lured  him  away  from  the  house,  which  was  still  besieged 
with  dissatisfied  intruders.  Aubert  remained  in  the  shop, 
vainly  adjusting  and  readjusting  the  rebel  watches;  and  the 
poor  boy,  completely  mystified,  sometimes  covered  his  face 
in  his  hands,  fearful  that  he,  like  his  master,  might  go  mad. 

So  it  came  about  that  the  old  watchmaker  at  last  per- 
ceived that  he  was  not  alone  in  the  world.  As  he  looked 
upon  his  young  and  lovely  daughter,  himself  old  and 
broken,  he  reflected  that  after  his  death  she  would  be  left 
alone,  without  support.  Many  of  the  young  mechanics  of 
Geneva  had  already  sought  to  win  Gerande's  love ;  but  none 
of  them  had  succeeded  in  gaining  access  to  the  impenetrable 
retreat  of  the  watchmaker's  household.  It  was  natural, 
then,  that  during  this  lucid  interval  the  old  man's  choice 
should  fall  on  Aubert  Thun.  Once  struck  with  this 
thought,  he  remarked  to  himself  that  this  young  couple 
had  been  brought  up  with  the  same  ideas  and  the  same  be- 
liefs, and  the  oscillations  of  their  hearts  seemed  to  him,  as 
he  said  one  day  to  Scholastique,  "  isochronal." 

The  old  servant,  literally  delighted  with  the  word,  though 
she  did  not  understand  it,  swore  by  her  holy  patron  saint 
that  the  whole  town  should  hear  it  within  a  quarter  of  an 
hour.  Master  Zacharius  found  it  difficult  to  calm  her,  but 
made  her  promise  to  keep  on  this  subject  a  silence  which 
she  never  was  known  to  observe. 

So,  though  Gerande  and  Aubert  were  ignorant  of  it, 
all  Geneva  was  soon  talking  of  their  speedy  union.  But 
it  happened  also  that,  while  the  worthy  folk  were  gossiping, 
a  strange  chuckle  was  often  heard,  and  a  voice  saying, 
"  Gerande  will  not  wed  Aubert." 

If  the  gossipers  turned  round,  they  found  themselves 
facing  a  little  old  man  who  was  quite  a  stranger  to  them. 

How  old  was  this  singular  being?  No  one  could  have 
told.  People  conjectured  that  he  must  have  existed  for 
several  centuries,  and  that  was  all.  His  big  flat  head  rested 
upon  shoulders  the  width  of  which  was  equal  to  the  height 
of  his  body;  this  was  not  above  three  feet.  This  person- 
age would  have  figured  well  on  a  pendulum  fulcrum,  for 


A    STRANGE    VISIT  37 

the  dial  would  have  naturally  been  placed  on  his  face,  and 
the  balance-wheel  would  have  oscillated  at  its  ease  in  his 
chest.  His  nose  might  readily  be  taken  for  the  style  of  a 
sun-dial,  for  it  was  small  and  sharp;  his  teeth,  far  apart, 
resembled  the  gearing  of  a  wheel,  and  ground  themselves 
between  his  lips ;  his  voice  had  the  metallic  sound  of  a  bell, 
and  you  could  hear  his  heart  beat  like  the  tick-tick  of  a 
clock.  This  little  man,  whose  arms  moved  like  the  needles 
on  a  dial,  walked  with  jerks,  without  ever  turning  round. 
If  anyone  followed  him,  it  was  found  that  he  walked  a 
league  an  hour,  and  that  his  course  was  nearly  circular. 

This  strange  being  had  not  long  been  seen  wandering, 
or  rather  circulating,  around  the  town;  but  it  had  already 
been  observed  that,  every  day,  at  the  moment  when  the  sun 
passed  the  meridian,  he  stopped  before  the  Cathedral  of 
Saint  Pierre,  and  resumed  his  course  after  the  twelve 
strokes  of  midday  had  sounded.  Excepting  at  this  precise 
moment,  he  seemed  to  become  a  part  of  all  the  conversations 
in  which  the  old  watchmaker  was  talked  of,  and  people 
asked  each  other,  in  terror,  what  relation  could  exist  be- 
tween him  and  Master  Zacharius.  It  was  remarked,  too, 
that  he  never  lost  sight  of  the  old  man  and  his  daughter 
while  they  were  taking  their  promenades. 

One  day  Gerande  perceived  this  monster  looking  at  her 
with  a  hideous  smile.  She  clung  to  her  father  with  a 
frightened  motion. 

"  Wliat  is  the  matter,  my  Gerande  ? "  asked  Master 
Zacharius. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  young  girl. 

"  But  thou  art  changed,  my  child.  Art  thou  going  to 
fall  ill  in  thy  turn?  Ah,  well,"  he  added,  with  a  sad  smile, 
"then  I  must  take  care  of  thee,  and  I  will  do  it  tenderly." 

"  O  father,  it  will  be  nothing.  I  am  cold,  and  I  imag- 
ine that  it  is " 

"What,  Gerande?" 

"  The  presence  of  that  man,  who  always  follows  us," 
she  replied  in  a  low  tone. 

Master  Zacharius  turned  towards  the  little  old  man. 
"  Faith,  he  goes  well,"  said  he,  with  a  satisfied  air,  "  for 
it  is  just  four  o'clock.  Fear  nothing,  my  child;  it  is  not 
a  man,  it  is  a  clock!  " 

Gerande   looked  at  her   father  in   terror.     How   could 


38  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

Master  Zacharius  read  the  hour  on  this  strange  creature's 
visage  ? 

"  By  the  by,"  continued  the  old  watchmaker,  paying  no 
further  attention  to  the  matter,  "I  have  not  seen  Aubert 
for  several  days." 

"  He  has  not  left  us,  however,  father,"  said  Gerande, 
whose  thoughts  turned  into  a  gentler  channel. 

"  What  is  he  doing,  then?  " 

"  He  is  working." 

"  Ah !  "  cried  the  old  man.  "  He  is  at  work  repairing 
my  watches,  is  he  not?  But  he  will  never  succeed;  for  it 
is  not  repairs  they  need,  but  a  resurrection !  " 

Gerande  remained  silent. 

"  I  must  know,"  added  the  old  man,  "  if  they  have 
brought  back  any  more  of  those  damned  watches,  upon 
which  the  Devil  has  imposed  an  epidemic!" 

After  these  words  Master  Zacharius  fell  into  absolute 
taciturnity,  till  he  knocked  at  the  door  of  his  house,  and 
for  the  first  time  since  his  convalescence  descended  to  his 
shop,  while  Gerande  sadly  repaired  to  her  chamber. 

At  this  moment  when  Master  Zacharius  crossed  the 
threshold  of  his  shop,  one  of  the  many  clocks  suspended 
on  the  wall  struck  five  o'clock.  Usually  the  bells  of  these 
clocks — admirably  regulated  as  they  were — struck  simul- 
taneously, and  this  rejoiced  the  old  man's  heart;  but  on 
this  day  the  bells  struck  one  after  another,  so  that  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  the  ear  was  deafened  by  the  successive 
noise.  Master  Zacharius  suffered  terribly;  he  could  not 
remain  still,  but  went  from  one  clock  to  the  other,  and  beat 
the  measure  for  them,  as  an  orchestra  leader  who  has  no 
longer  control  over  his  musicians. 

When  the  last  had  ceased  striking,  the  door  of  the  shop 
opened,  and  Master  Zacharius  shuddered  from  head  to 
foot  to  see  before  him  the  little  old  man,  who  looked  fixedly 
at  him  and  said,  "  Master,  may  I  not  speak  with  you  a  few 
moments?  " 

"Who  are  you?"  asked  the  watchmaker,  abruptly. 

"  A  colleague.     I  am  charged  with  regulating  the  sun." 

"  Ah,  you  regulate  the  sun !  "  replied  Master  Zacharius, 
eagerly,  without  wincing.  "  I  can  scarcely  compliment  you 
upon  it.  Your  sun  goes  badly,  to  make  ourselves  agree  with 
it,  we  have  to  keep  advancing  and  retarding  our  clocks ! " 


A    STRANGE   VISIT  39 


tt 


And,  by  the  Devil's  cloven  foot,"  cried  this  weird  per- 
sonage, "  you  are  right,  my  master !  My  sun  does  not  al- 
ways indicate  midday  at  the  same  moment  as  your  clocks; 
but  some  day  it  will  be  known  that  this  is  because  of  the  in- 
equality of  the  movement  of  the  earth's  transfer,  and  a 
mean  midday  will  be  invented  which  will  regulate  this  ir- 
regularity !  " 

"  Shall  I  live  till  then  ?  "  asked  the  old  man,  with  glis- 
tening eyes. 

"  Without  doubt,"  replied  the  little  old  man,  laughing. 
"  Can  you  believe  that  you  will  ever  die  ?  " 

"Alas!  lam  very  ill." 

**  Ah,  let  us  talk  of  that.  By  Beelzebub !  that  will  lead 
to  just  what  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  about." 

Saying  this,  the  strange  being  leaped  upon  the  old  leather 
chair,  and  carried  his  legs  one  under  the  other,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  bones  which  the  painters  of  funeral  hang- 
ings cross  beneath  skulls.  Then  he  resumed,  in  an  ironical 
tone,  "  See,  Master  Zacharius,  what  is  going  on  in  this 
good  town  of  Geneva?  They  say  that  your  health  is  fail- 
ing, that  your  watches  have  need  of  a  doctor! " 

"Ah,  you  believe  that  there  is  an  intimate  relation  be- 
tween their  existence  and  mine?"  cried  Master  Zacharius. 

"  Why,  I  imagine  that  these  watches  have  faults,  even 
vices.  If  these  wantons  do  not  preserve  a  regular  con- 
duct, it  is  right  that  they  should  bear  the  consequences  of 
their  irregularity.  It  seems  to  me  that  they  have  need  of 
reforming  a  little !  " 

"  What  do  you  call  faults  ?  "  asked  Master  Zacharius, 
reddening  at  the  sarcastic  tone  in  which  these  words  were 
uttered.  "  Have  they  not  a  right  to  be  proud  of  their 
ongm? 

"  Not  too  proud,  not  too  proud,"  replied  the  little  old 
man.  "  They  bear  a  celebrated  name,  and  an  illustrious 
signature  is  graven  on  their  cases,  it  is  true,  and  theirs  is 
the  exclusive  privilege  of  being  introduced  among  the 
noblest  families;  but  for  some  time  they  have  become  de- 
ranged, and  you  can  do  nothing  about  it,  Master  Zacharius ; 
and  the  stupidest  apprentice  in  Geneva  could  prove  it  to 
you!" 

"  To  me,  to  me ! "  cried  Master  Zacharius,  with  a  flush 
of  outraged  pride. 


40  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

"To  you,  Master  Zacharius — ^you,  who  cannot  restore 
life  to  your  watches !  " 

"  But  it  is  because  I  have  a  fever,  and  so  have  they  also !  " 
replied  the  old  man,  as  a  cold  sweat  broke  out  upon  him. 

"  Very  well,  they  will  die  with  you,  since  you  are  pre- 
vented from  imparting  a  little  elasticity  to  their  springs." 

"Die!  No,  for  you  yourself  have  said  it!  I  cannot 
die, — I,  the  first  watchmaker  in  the  world ;  I,  who,  by  means 
of  these  pieces  and  diverse  wheels,  have  been  able  to  regu- 
late the  movement  with  absolute  precision!  Have  I  not 
subjected  time  to  exact  laws,  and  can  I  not  dispose  of 
it  like  a  despot?  Before  a  sublime  genius  had  disposed 
regularly  these  wandering  hours,  in  what  vast  waste  was 
human  destiny  plunged?  At  what  certain  moment  could 
the  acts  of  life  be  connected  with  each  other?  But  you, 
man  or  devil,  whatever  you  may  be,  have  never  considered 
the  magnificence  of  my  art,  which  calls  every  science  to  its 
aid!  No,  no!  I,  Master  Zacharius,  cannot  die,  for,  as  I 
have  regulated  time,  time  would  end  with  me!  It  would 
return  to  the  infinite,  whence  my  genius  has  rescued  it,  and 
it  would  lose  itself  irreparably  in  the  gulf  of  chaos!  No, 
I  can  no  more  die  than  the  Creator  of  this  universe,  sub- 
mitted to  its  laws!  I  have  become  his  equal,  and  I  have 
partaken  of  his  power!  If  God  has  created  eternity,  Mas- 
ter Zacharius  has  created  time !  " 

The  old  watchmaker  now  resembled  the  fallen  angel, 
defiant  in  the  presence  of  the  Creator.  The  little  old  man 
seemed  to  breathe  into  him  this  impious  transport. 

"  Well  said,  master,"  he  replied.  "  Beelzebub  had  less 
right  than  you  to  compare  himself  with  God !  Your  glory 
must  not  perish!  So  your  servant  desires  to  give  you 
the  method  of  controlling  these  rebellious  watches." 

"What  is  it?  what  is  it?"  cried  Master  Zacharius. 

"You  shall  know  on  the  day  after  that  on  which  you 
have  given  me  your  daughter's  hand." 

"My  Gerande?" 

"Herself!" 

"  My  daughter's  heart  is  not  free,"  replied  Master 
Zacharius,  who  seemed  neither  astonished  nor  angry. 

"Bah!  She  is  not  the  least  beautiful  of  watches;  but 
she  will  end  by  stopping  also " 

"  My  daughter, — my  Gerande !     No !  " 


A    STRANGE   VISIT  41 

"  Well,  return  to  your  watches,  Master  Zacharius.  Ad- 
just and  readjust  them.  Get  ready  the  marriage  of  your 
daughter  and  your  apprentice.  Temper  your  springs  with 
your  best  steel.  Bless  Aubert  and  the  pretty  Gerande. 
But  remember,  your  watches  will  never  go,  and  Gerande 
will  not  wed  Aubert !  " 

Thereupon  the  little  old  man  disappeared  so  quickly 
that  Master  Zacharius  could  not  hear  six  o'clock  strike 
In  his  breast. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  CHURCH   OF   ST.   PIERRE 

Master  Zacharius  became  more  feeble  in  mind  and 
body  every  day.  An  unusual  excitement,  indeed,  impelled 
him  to  continue  his  work  more  eagerly  than  ever,  nor 
could  his  daughter  entice  him  from  it.  From  morning 
till  night  discontented  purchasers  besieged  the  house,  and 
they  got  access  to  the  old  watchmaker  himself,  who  knew 
not  which  of  them  to  listen  to. 

"  This  watch  is  too  slow,  and  I  cannot  succeed  in  regu- 
lating it,"  said  one. 

"  This,"  said  another,  "  is  absolutely  obstinate,  and 
stands  still,  as  did  Joshua's  sun." 

"  If  it  is  true,"  said  most  of  them,  "  that  your  health 
has  an  influence  on  that  of  your  watches.  Master  Zacharius, 
get  well  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  old  man  gazed  at  these  people  with  haggard  eyes, 
and  only  replied  by  shaking  his  head,  or  by  a  few  sad 
words :  "  Wait  till  the  first  fine  weather,  my  friends.  The 
season  Is  coming  which  revives  existence  in  wearied  bodies. 
The  sun  must  come  to  warm  us  all ! " 

"A  fine  thing,  if  my  watches  are  to  be  ill  through  the 
winter ! "  said  one  of  the  most  angry.  "  Do  you  know, 
Master  Zacharius,  that  your  name  is  Inscribed  in  full  on 
their  faces?  By  the  Virgin,  you  do  little  honor  to  your 
signature !  " 

It  happened  at  last  that  the  old  man,  abashed  by  these 
reproaches,  took  some  pieces  of  gold  from  his  old  trunk, 
and  began  to  buy  back  the  damaged  watches.  At  news 
of  this,  the  customers  came  In  a  crowd,  and  the  poor  watch- 


42  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

maker's  money  fast  melted  away;  but  his  honesty  remained 
intact,  Gerande  warmly  praised  his  delicacy,  which  was 
leading  him  straight  towards  ruin ;  and  Aubert  soon  offered 
his  own  savings  to  his  master. 

Scholastique  alone  refused  to  listen  to  reason  on  the  sub- 
ject; but  her  efforts  failed  to  prevent  the  unwelcome  vis- 
itors from  reaching  her  master,  and  from  soon  departing 
with  some  valuable  object.  Then  her  chattering  was  heard 
in  all  the  streets  of  the  neighborhood,  where  she  had  long 
been  known.  She  eagerly  denied  the  rumors  of  sorcery 
and  magic  on  the  part  of  Master  Zacharius,  which  gained 
currency;  but  as  at  bottom  she  was  persuaded  of  their 
truth,  she  said  her  prayers  over  and  over  again  to  redeem 
her  pious  falsehoods. 

It  had  been  noticed  that  for  some  time  the  old  watch- 
maker had  neglected  his  religious  duties.  Time  was, 
when  he  had  accompanied  Gerande  to  church,  and  had 
seemed  to  find  in  prayer  the  intellectual  charm  which  it 
imparts  to  thoughtful  minds,  as  it  is  the  most  sublime  exer- 
cise of  the  imagination.  This  voluntary  neglect  of  holy 
practices,  added  to  the  secret  habits  of  his  life,  had  in 
some  sort  confirmed  the  accusations  leveled  against  his 
labors.  So,  with  the  double  purpose  of  drawing  her  father 
back  to  God  and  to  the  world,  Gerande  resolved  to  call  re- 
ligion to  her  aid.  She  thought  that  it  might  give  some 
vitality  to  his  dying  soul;  but  the  dogmas  of  faith  and 
humility  had  to  combat,  in  the  soul  of  Master  Zacharius,  an 
insurmountable  pride,  and  came  into  collision  with  that 
vanity  of  science  which  connects  everything  with  itself, 
without  rising  to  the  infinite  source  whence  first  principles 
flow.  It  was  under  these  circumstances  that  the  young 
girl  undertook  her  father's  conversion,  and  her  influence 
was  so  effective  that  the  old  watchmaker  promised  to  at- 
tend high  mass  at  the  Cathedral  on  the  following  Sunday. 

Old  Scholastique  could  not  contain  her  joy,  and  at  last 
found  irrefutable  arguments  against  the  gossiping  tongues, 
which  accused  her  master  of  impiety.  She  spoke  of  it  to 
her  neighbors,  her  friends,  her  enemies,  to  those  whom  she 
knew  not  as  well  as  to  those  whom  she  knew. 

"  In  faith,  we  scarcely  believe  what  you  tell  us,  dame 
Scholastique,"  they  replied ;  "  Master  Zacharius  has  al- 
ways acted  in  concert  with  the  devil !  " 


THE   CHURCH   OF   ST.    PIERRE         43 


(( 


You  haven't  counted,  then,"  replied  the  old  servant, 
"the  fine  bells  which  strike  for  my  master's  clocks?  How 
many  times  they  have  struck  the  hours  of  prayer  and  the 
mass ! " 

"  No  doubt,"  they  would  reply,  "  But  has  he  not  in- 
vented machines  which  go  all  by  themselves,  and  which 
actually  do  the  work  of  a  real  man?  " 

"  Could  a  child  of  the  devil,"  exclaimed  dame  Scholas- 
tique,  wrathfully,  "  have  executed  the  fine  iron  clock  of 
the  chateau  of  Andermatt,  which  the  town  of  Geneva  was 
not  rich  enough  to  buy?  A  pious  motto  appeared  at  eacli 
hour,  and  a  Christian  who  obeyed  them  would  have  gone 
straight  to  Paradise!     Is  that  the  work  of  the  devil?" 

This  masterpiece,  made  twenty  years  before,  had  car- 
ried Master  Zacharius's  fame  to  its  acme;  but  even  then 
there  had  been  accusations  against  him  of  sorcery.  At 
least,  the  old  man's  visit  to  the  Cathedral  w^ould  reduce 
malicious  tongues  to  silence. 

The  Sunday  so  ardently  anticipated  by  Gerande  at  last 
arrived.  The  weather  was  fine,  and  the  temperature  in- 
spiriting. The  people  of  Geneva  were  passing  quietly 
through  the  streets,  gayly  chatting  about  the  return  of 
spring.  Gerande,  tenderly  taking  the  old  man's  arm,  di- 
rected her  steps  towards  the  Cathedral,  while  Scholastique 
followed  behind  with  the  prayer-books.  People  looked 
curiously  at  them  as  they  passed.  The  old  watchmaker 
permitted  himself  to  be  led  like  a  child,  or  rather  like  a 
blind  man.  The  faithful  of  Saint  Pierre  were  .almost 
frightened  when  they  saw  him  cross  the  threshold,  and 
shrank  back  at  his  approach. 

The  chants  of  high  mass  were  already  resounding 
through  the  church.  Gerande  advanced  to  her  accustomed 
bench,  and  kneeled  with  profound  and  simple  reverence. 
Master  Zacharius  remained  standing  beside  her. 

The  ceremonies  continued  with  the  majestic  solemnity 
of  that  pious  age,  but  the  old  man  had  no  faith.  He  did 
not  implore  the  pity  of  Heaven  with  cries  of  anguish  of 
the  "  Kyrie  " ;  he  did  not,  with  the  "  Gloria  in  Excelsis," 
sing  the  splendors  of  the  celestial  heights;  the  reading  of  the 
Testament  did  not  draw  him  from  his  materialistic  revery, 
and  he  forgot  to  join  in  the  homage  of  the  "  Credo."  This 
proud  old  man  remained  motionless,  as  insensible  and  si- 


44  THE    WATCH'S    SOUL 

lent  as  a  stone  statue;  and  even  at  the  solemn  moment 
when  the  bell  announced  the  miracle  of  transubstantiation, 
he  did  not  bow  his  head,  but  gazed  directly  at  the  sacred 
hsot  which  the  priest  raised  above  the  heads  of  the  faith- 
ful. Gerande  looked  at  her  father,  and  a  flood  of  tears 
moistened  her  missal. 

At  this  moment  the  clock  of  Saint  Pierre  struck  half 
past  eleven.  Master  Zacharius  turned  quickly  towards 
this  ancient  clock  which  he  had  regulated  and  which  still 
spoke.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if  its  face  was  gazing  steadily 
at  him;  the  figures  of  the  hours  shone  as  if  they  had  been 
engraved  in  lines  of  fire,  and  the  hands  darted  forth  elec- 
tric sparks  from  their  sharp  points. 

The  mass  ended.  It  was  customary  for  the  "  Angelus  " 
to  be  said  at  noon,  and  the  priests,  before  leaving  the  altar, 
waited  for  the  clock  to  strike  the  hour  of  twelve.  In  a 
few  moments  this  prayer  would  ascend  to  the  feet  of  the 
Virgin.  But  suddenly  a  harsh  noise  was  heard.  Master 
Zacharius  uttered  a  piercing  cry. 

The  large  hand  of  the  clock,  having  reached  twelve,  had 
abruptly  stopped,  and  the  clock  did  not  strike  the  hour. 

Gerande  hastened  to  her  father's  aid.  He  had  fallen 
down  motionless,  and  they  carried  him  outside  the  church. 
"  It  is  the  death-blow !  "  murmured  Gerande,  sobbing. 

When  he  had  been  borne  home,  Master  Zacharius  lay 
upon  his  bed  utterly  crushed.  Life  seemed  only  to  still 
exist  on  the  surface  of  his  body,  like  the  last  whiflfs  of 
smoke  about  a  lamp  just  extinguished. 

When  he  came  to  his  senses,  Aubert  and  Gerande  were 
leaning  over  him.  At  this  supreme  moment  the  future 
took  in  his  eyes  the  shape  of  the  present.  He  saw  his 
daughter  alone,  without  support.  "  My  son,"  said  he  to 
Aubert,  "  I  give  my  daughter  to  thee." 

So  saying,  he  stretched  out  his  hand  towards  his  two 
children,  who  were  thus  united  at  his  death-bed. 

But  soon  Master  Zacharius  lifted  himself  up  in  a  par- 
oxysm of  rage.  The  words  of  the  little  old  man  recurred 
to  his  mind.  "  I  do  not  wish  to  die !  "  he  cried ;  "  I  cannot 
die !  I,  Master  Zacharius,  ought  not  to  die !  My  books, — 
my  accounts!  " 

He  sprang  from  his  bed  towards  a  book  in  which  the 
names  of  his  customers,  and  the  articles  which  had  been 


THE    CHURCH    OF    ST.    PIERRE  45 

sold  to  them,  were  inscribed.  He  seized  it  and  rapidly 
turned  over  its  leaves,  and  his  emaciated  thumb  fixed  itself 
on  one  of  the  pages. 

"  There !  "  he  cried,  "  there  I  this  old  iron  clock,  sold  to 
Pittonaccio!  It  is  the  only  one  that  has  not  been  returned 
to  me!  It  still  exists, — it  goes, — it  lives!  Ah,  I  wish  for 
it, — I  must  find  it!  I  will  take  such  care  of  it  that  death 
will  no  longer  seek  me !  "     And  he  fainted  away. 

Aubert  and  Gerande  knelt  by  the  old  man's  bedside,  and 
prayed  together. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  HOUR  OF  DEATH 

Several  days  passed,  and  Master  Zacharius,  though  al- 
most dying,  rose  from  his  bed  and  returned  to  active  life, 
under  a  supernatural  excitement.  He  lived  by  pride. 
But  Gerande  did  not  deceive  herself;  her  father's  body  and 
soul  were  forever  lost. 

The  old  man  got  together  his  last  resources,  without 
thought  of  those  who  were  dependent  upon  him.  He  be- 
trayed an  incredible  energy,  walking,  ferreting  about,  and 
mumbling  strange,  incomprehensible  words.  One  morning 
Gerande  went  down  to  his  shop.  Master  Zacharius  was 
not  there.  She  waited  for  him  all  day.  Master  Zacharius 
did  not  return. 

"  Where  can  he  be?  "  Aubert  asked  himself.  An  Inspira- 
tion suddenly  came  to  his  mind.  He  remembered  the  last 
words  which  Master  Zacharius  had  spoken.  The  old  man 
only  lived  now  in  the  old  iron  clock  that  had  not  been  re- 
turned !  Master  Zacharius  must  have  gone  in  search  of  it. 
Aubert  spoke  of  this  to  Gerande. 

"  Let  us  look  at  my  father's  book,"  she  replied. 

They  descended  to  the  shop.  The  book  was  open  on  the 
bench.  All  the  watches  or  clocks  made  by  the  old  man, 
and  which  had  been  returned  to  him  out  of  order,  were 
stricken  out,  excepting  one.  "  Sold  to  M.  Pittonaccio,  an 
iron  clock,  with  bell  and  moving  figures;  sent  to  his  cha- 
teau at  Andermatt." 

It  was  this  "  moral "  clock  of  which  Scholastique  had 
spoken  with  so  much  enthusiasm. 


46  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

"  My  father  is  there !  "  cried  Gerande. 

"  Let  us  hasten  thither,"  repHed  Aubert.  "  We  may  still 
save  him!  " 

"  Not  for  this  life,"  murmured  Gerande,  "  but  at  least 
for  the  other." 

*'  By  the  grace  of  God,  Gerande !  The  chateau  of  An- 
dermatt  stands  in  the  gorge  of  the  *  Dents-du-Midi,' 
twenty  hours  from  Geneva.     Let  us  go !  " 

That  very  evening  Aubert  and  Gerande,  followed  by  the 
old  servant,  set  out  on  foot  by  the  road  which  skirts  Lake 
Leman.  At  last,  late  the  next  day,  they  reached  the  her- 
mitage of  Notre-Dame,  which  is  situated  at  the  base  of  the 
Dents-du-Midi,  six  hundred  feet  above  the  Rhone.  They 
were  nearly  dead  with  fatigue.  The  hermit  received  the 
wanderers  as  night  was  falling.  They  could  not  have  gone 
another  step,  and  here  they  must  needs  rest. 

The  hermit  could  give  them  no  news  of  Master  Zach- 
arius.  They  could  scarcely  hope  to  find  him  still  living 
amid  these  sad  solitudes.  The  night  was  dark,  the  wind 
howled  amid  the  mountains,  and  the  avalanches  roared  and 
thundered  down  from  the  summits  of  the  broken  crags. 

Aubert  and  Gerande,  crouching  before  the  hermit's 
hearth,  told  him  their  melancholy  tale.  Their  mantles, 
covered  with  snow,  were  drying  in  a  corner;  and  without, 
the  hermit's  dog  barked  lugubriously,  and  mingled  his  voice 
with  that  of  the  tempest. 

"  Pride,"  said  the  hermit  to  his  guests,  "  has  lost  an  an- 
gel created  for  good.  It  is  the  obstacle  against  which  the 
destinies  of  man  strike.  You  cannot  oppose  reasoning  to 
pride,  the  principal  of  all  the  vices,  since,  by  its  very  nature, 
the  proud  man  refuses  to  listen  to  it.  It  only  remains, 
then,  to  pray  for  your  father !  " 

All  four  knelt  down,  when  the  barking  of  the  dog  re- 
doubled, and  someone  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  hermit- 
age.    "Open,  in  the  name  of  the  devil!" 

The  door  yielded  under  the  blows,  and  a  disheveled,  hag- 
gard, ill-clothed  man  appeared. 

"  My  father !  "  cried  Gerande.  It  was  Master  Zach- 
arius. 

"Where  am  I?"  said  he.  "In  eternity!  Time  is 
ended, — the  hours  no  longer  strike, — the  hands  have 
stopped ! " 


THE   HOUR   OF   DEATH  47 

"  Father ! "  returned  Gerande,  with  so  piteous  an  emo- 
tion that  the  old  man  seemed  to  return  to  the  world  of  the 
living. 

"Thou  here,  Gerande?"  he  cried;  "and  thou,  Aubert? 
Ah,  my  dear  betrothed  ones,  you  are  going  to  be  married 
in  our  old  church !  " 

"  Father,"  said  Gerande,  seizing  him  by  the  arm,  "  come 
home  to  Geneva, — come  with  us !  " 

"  Do  not  abandon  your  children !  "  cried  Aubert. 

"  Why  return  ?  "  replied  the  old  man,  sadly,  "  to  those 
places  which  my  life  has  already  quitted,  and  where  a  part 
of  myself  is  forever  buried?  " 

"  Your  soul  is  not  dead !  "  said  the  hermit,  solemnly. 

"  My  soul  ?  O  no, — its  wheels  are  good !  I  perceive 
it  beating  regularly " 

"  Your  soul  is  immaterial, — your  soul  is  immortal !  " 
replied  the  hermit,  sternly. 

"  Yes, — like  my  glory !  But  it  is  shut  up  in  the  cha- 
teau of  Andermatt,  and  I  wish  to  see  it  again!  " 

The  hermit  crossed  himself;  Scholastique  became  almost 
inanimate.     Aubert  held  Gerande  in  his  arms. 

"  The  chateau  of  Andermatt  is  inhabited  by  one  who  is 
damned,"  said  the  hermit,  "  one  who  does  not  salute  the 
cross  of  my  hermitage." 

"  My  father,  go  not  thither !  " 

"  I  want  my  soul !     My  soul  is  mine " 

"  Hold  him !     Hold  my  father !  "  cried  Gerande. 

But  the  old  man  had  leaped  across  the  threshold,  and 
plunged  into  the  night,  crying,  "  Mine,  mine,  my  soul !  " 

Gerande,  Aubert,  and  Scholastique  hastened  after  him. 
They  went  by  difficult  paths,  across  which  Master  Zacharius 
sped  like  a  tempest,  urged  by  an  irresistible  force.  The 
snow  raged  round  them,  and  mingled  its  white  flakes  with 
the  froth  of  the  tumbling  torrents. 

The  chateau  of  Andermatt  was  a  ruin  even  then.  A  thick, 
crumbling  tower  rose  above  it,  and  seemed  to  menace  with 
its  downfall  the  old  gables  which  reared  themselves  below. 
The  vast  piles  of  jagged  stones  frowned  gloomily  to  the 
right.  Several  dark  halls  appeared  amid  the  debris,  with 
caved-in  ceilings,  now  become  the  abode  of  vipers. 

A  low  and  narrow  postern,  opening  upon  a  ditch  choked 
with  rubbish,  gave  access  to  the  chateau.     No  doubt  some 


4-8  THE    WATCH'S    SOUL 

margrave,  half  lord,  half  brigand,  had  inherited  it;  to  the 
margrave  had  succeeded  bandits  or  counterfeiters,  who 
had  been  hung  on  the  scene  of  their  crime.  The  legend 
went  that  on  winter  nights,  Satan  came  to  lead  his  diabolical 
dances  on  the  slope  of  the  deep  gorges  in  which  the  shadow, 
of  these  ruins  was  engulfed. 

But  Master  Zacharius  was  not  dismayed  by  their  sin- 
ister aspect.  He  reached  the  postern.  No  one  forbade 
him  to  pass.  A  spacious  and  gloomy  court  presented  itself 
to  his  eyes.  He  passed  along  the  kind  of  inclined  plane 
which  conducted  to  one  of  the  long  corridors,  the  arches  of 
which  seemed  to  banish  daylight  from  beneath  their  heavy 
springings.  His  advance  was  unresisted.  Gerande,  Au- 
bert,  and  Scholastique  closely  followed  him. 

Master  Zacharius,  as  if  guided  by  an  irresistible  hand, 
seemed  sure  of  his  way,  and  strode  along  with  rapid  step. 
He  reached  an  old  worm-eaten  door,  which  fell  before  his 
blows,  while  the  bats  described  oblique  circles  around  his 
head. 

An  immense  hall,  better  preserved  than  the  rest,  was 
soon  reached.  High  sculptured  panels,  on  which  larves, 
ghouls,  and  other  strange  figures  seemed  to  agitate  them- 
selves confusedly,  covered  its  walls.  Several  long  and 
narrow  windows  shivered  beneath  the  bursts  of  the  tem- 
pest. 

Master  Zacharius,  on  reaching  the  middle  of  this  hall, 
uttered  a  cry  of  joy.  On  an  iron  support,  fastened  to  the 
wall,  stood  the  clock  in  which  now  resided  his  entire  life. 
This  unequaled  masterpiece  represented  an  ancient  Roman 
church,  with  its  heavy  bell-tower,  where  there  was  a  com- 
plete chime  for  the  anthem  of  the  day,  the  "  Angelus," 
the  mass,  and  vespers.  Above  the  church  door,  which 
opened  at  the  hour  of  the  ceremonies,  was  placed  a  "  rose," 
in  the  center  of  which  two  hands  moved,  and  the  archivolt 
of  which  reproduced  the  twelve  hours  of  the  face  sculp- 
tured in  relief.  Between  the  door  and  the  rose,  just  as 
Scholastique  had  said,  a  maxim,  relative  to  the  employ- 
ment of  every  moment  of  the  day,  appeared  on  a  copper 
plate.  Master  Zacharius  had  regulated  this  succession  of 
devices  with  a  really  Christian  solicitude;  the  hours  of 
prayer,  of  work,  of  repast,  of  recreation,  and  of  repose 
followed  each  other  according  to  the  religious  discipline, 

V.  I  Verne 


THE   HOUR   OF   DEATH  49 

and  were  infallibly  to  insure  salvation  to  him  who  scrupu- 
lously observed  their  commands. 

Master  Zacharius,  intoxicated  with  joy,  went  forward 
to  take  possession  of  the  clock,  when  a  frightful  roar  of 
laughter  resounded  behind  him.  He  turned,  and  by  the 
light  of  a  smoky  lamp  recognized  the  little  old  man  of 
Geneva.     "  You  here?  "  cried  he. 

Gerande  was  afraid.     She  drew  closer  to  Aubert. 

"  Good  day.  Master  Zacharius,"  said  the  monster. 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  Signor  Pittonaccio,  at  your  service !  You  have  come 
to  give  me  your  daughter!  You  have  remembered  my 
words, — '  Gerande  will  not  wed  Aubert." 

The  young  apprentice  rushed  upon  Pittonaccio,  who 
escaped  from  him  like  a  shadow. 

"Stop,  Aubert!"  cried  Master  Zacharius. 

"  Good  night,"  said  Pittonaccio ;  and  he  disappeared. 

"My  father,  let  us  fly  from  this  hateful  place!"  cried 
Gerande.     "My  father!" 

Master  Zacharius  was  no  longer  there.  He  was  pursu- 
ing the  phantom  of  Pittonaccio  across  the  rickety  corri- 
dors. Scholastique,  Gerande,  and  Aubert  remained, 
speechless  and  fainting,  in  the  large  gloomy  hall.  The 
young  girl  had  fallen  upon  a  stone  seat;  the  old  servant 
knelt  beside  her  and  prayed;  Aubert  remained  erect 
watching  his  betrothed.  Pale  lights  wandered  in  the 
darkness,  and  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  the  movements 
of  the  little  animals  which  range  among  old  wood,  and 
the  noise  of  which  marks  the  hours  of  "  the  clock  of 
death." 

When  daylight  came,  they  ventured  upon  the  endless 
staircase  which  wound  beneath  these  ruined  masses;  for 
two  hours  they  wandered  thus,  without  meeting  a  living 
soul,  and  hearing  only  a  far-off  echo  responding  to  their 
cries.  Sometimes  they  found  themselves  buried  a  hundred 
feet  below  the  ground,  and  sometimes  they  reached  places 
whence   they  could  overlook  the   surrounding  mountains. 

Chance  brought  them  at  last  back  again  to  the  vast  hall, 
which  had  sheltered  them  during  this  night  of  anguish. 
It  was  no  longer  empty.  Master  Zacharius  and  Pittonac- 
cio were  talking  there  together,  the  one  upright  and  rigid 
as  a  corpse,  the  other  crouching  over  a  marble  table. 


so  THE   WATCH'S    SOUL 

Master  Zacharius,  when  he  perceived  Gerande,  went 
forward  and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  led  her  towards 
Pittonaccio,  saying,  "  Behold  your  lord  and  master,  my 
daughter.     Gerande,  behold  your  husband !  " 

Gerande  shuddered  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Never!  "  cried  Aubert,  "  for  she  is  my  betrothed." 

"  Never !  "  responded  Gerande,  like  a  plaintive  echo. 

Pittonaccio  began  to  laugh. 

"  You  wish  me  to  die,  then  ?  "  exclaimed  the  old  man. 
"  There,  in  that  clock,  the  last  which  goes  of  all  which 
have  gone  from  my  hands,  my  life  is  shut  up;  and  this 
man  tells  me,  *  When  I  have  thy  daughter,  this  clock  shall 
belong  to  thee.'  And  this  man  will  not  adjust  it.  He  can 
break  it,  and  plunge  me  into  chaos.  Ah,  my  daughter,  you 
no  longer  love  me !  " 

"  My  father ! "  murmured  Gerande,  recovering  con- 
sciousness. 

"  li  you  knew  what  I  have  suffered,  far  away  from 
this  principle  of  my  existence!"  resumed  the  old  man. 
"  Perhaps  its  springs  were  left  to  wear  out,  its  wheels  to  get 
clogged.  But  now,  in  my  own  hands,  I  can  nourish  this 
health  so  dear,  for  I  must  not  die, — I,  the  great  watch- 
maker of  Geneva.  Look,  my  daughter,  how  these  hands 
advance  with  certain  step.  See,  five  o'clock  is  about  to 
strike.  Listen  well,  and  look  at  the  maxim  which  is  about 
to  be  revealed." 

Five  o'clock  struck  with  a  noise  which  resounded  sadly 
in  Gerande's  soul,  and  these  words  appeared  in  red  letters : 

"you    must  eat   of   the   fruits   of   the   tree   of 

SCIENCE." 

Aubert  and  Gerande  looked  at  each  other  stupefied. 
These  were  no  longer  the  pious  sayings  of  the  Catholic 
watchmaker.  The  breath  of  Satan  must  have  passed 
there.  But  Zacharius  paid  no  attention  to  this,  and  re- 
sumed :  "  Dost  thou  hear,  my  Gerande  ?  I  live,  I  still 
live!  Listen  to  my  breathing, — see  the  blood  circulating 
in  my  veins!  No,  thou  wouldst  not  kill  thy  father,  and 
thou  wilt  accept  this  man  for  thy  husband,  so  that  I 
may  become  immortal,  and  at  last  attain  the  power  of 
God ! "         '  ,         .         .    .  ... 


THE   HOUR   OF   DEATH  51 

At  these  blasphemous  words  old  Scholastique  crossed 
herself,  and  Pittonaccio  laughed  aloud  with  joy. 

"  And  then,  Gerande,  thou  wilt  be  happy  with  him.  See 
this  man, — he  is  Time !  Thy  existence  will  be  regulated 
with  absolute  precision.  Gerande,  since  I  gave  thee  life, 
give  life  to  thy  father!  " 

"  Gerande,"  murmured  Aubert,  "  I  am  thy  betrothed." 

"  He  is  my  father!  "  replied  Gerande,  fainting. 

**  She  is  thine !  "  said  Master  Zacharius.  "  Pittanaccio, 
thou  wilt  keep  thy  promise !  " 

"  Here  is  the  key  of  the  clock,"  replied  the  horrible 
man. 

Master  Zacharius  seized  the  long  key,  which  resembled 
an  uncoiled  snake,  and  ran  to  the  clock,  which  he  hastened 
to  wind  up  with  fantastic  rapidity.  The  creaking  of  the 
spring  jarred  upon  the  nerves.  The  old  watchmaker  wound 
and  wound  the  key,  without  stopping  a  moment,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  movement  were  beyond  his  control.  He 
wound  more  and  more  quickly,  with  strange  contortions, 
until  he  fell  from  sheer  weariness. 

*  There  it  is,  wound  up  for  a  century !  "  he  cried. 

Aubert  rushed  from  the  hall  as  if  he  were  mad.  After 
long  wandering,  he  found  the  outlet  of  the  hateful  chateau, 
and  hastened  into  the  open  air.  He  returned  to  the  hermi- 
tage of  Notre-Dame,  and  talked  so  desperately  to  the  holy 
recluse,  that  the  latter  consented  to  return  with  him  to  the 
chateau  of  Andermatt. 

Master  Zacharius  had  not  left  the  hall.  He  ran  every 
moment  to  listen  to  the  regular  beating  of  the  old  clock. 
Meanwhile  the  clock  had  struck,  and  to  Scholastique's 
great  terror,  these  words  had  appeared  on  the  silver  face: 

"  MAN  OUGHT  TO  BECOME  THE  EQUAL  OF  GOD." 

The  old  man  had  not  only  not  been  shocked  by  these 
impious  maxims,  but  read  them  deliriously,  and  was  pleased 
with  these  thoughts  of  pride,  while  Pittonaccio  kept  close 
by  him. 

The  marriage-contract  was  to  be  signed  at  midnight. 
Gerande,  almost  unconscious,  saw  or  heard  nothing.  The 
silence  was  only  broken  by  the  old  man's  words,  and  the 
chuckling  of  Pittonaccio. 


52  THE    WATCH'S    SOUL 

Eleven  o'clock  struck.  Master  Zacharius  read  in  a  loud 
voice : 

"  MAN  SHOULD  BE  THE  SLAVE  OF  SCIENCE,  AND  SACRIFICE 
TO   IT   RELATIVES   AND    FAMILY." 

"  Yes !  "  he  cried,  "  there  is  nothing  but  science  in  this 
world!" 

The  hands  slipped  over  the  face  of  the  clock  with  the 
hiss  of  a  serpent,  and  the  movement  beat  with  accelerated 
strokes.  Master  Zacharius  no  longer  spoke.  He  had 
fallen  to  the  floor,  he  rattled,  and  from  his  oppressed  bosom 
came  only  these  half-broken  words,   "Life — science!" 

The  scene  had  now  two  new  witnesses,  the  hermit  and 
Hubert.  Master  Zacharius  lay  upon  the  floor;  Gerande 
was  praying  beside  him,  more  dead  than  alive.  Of  a  sud- 
den a  dry,  hard  noise  was  heard,  proceeding  from  the 
striking-apparatus. 

Master  Zacharius  sprang  up.     "  Midnight!  "  he  cried. 

The  hermit  stretched  out  his  hand  towards  the  old  watch- 
maker,— and  midnight  did  not  sound. 

Master  Zacharius  uttered  a  terrible  cry,  when  these 
words  appeared: 

"  WHOEVER  SHALL  ATTEMPT  TO  MAKE  HIMSELF  THE 
EQUAL  OF  GOD  SHALL  BE  FOREVER  DAMNED !" 

The  old  clock  burst  with  a  noise  like  thunder,  and  the 
spring,  escaping,  leaped  across  the  hall  with  a  thousand 
fantastic  contortions ;  the  old  man  rose,  ran  after  it,  trying 
in  vain  to  seize  it,  and  exclaiming,  "  Aly  soul, — my  soul !  " 

The  spring  bounded  before  him,  first  on  one  side,  then 
on  the  other,  and  he  could  not  reach  it. 

At  last  Pittonaccio  seized  it,  and,  uttering  a  horrible 
blasphemy,  ingulfed  himself  in  the  earth. 

Master  Zacharius  fell  over.     He  was  dead. 

The  old  watchmaker  was  buried  in  the  midst  of  the 
peaks  of  Andermatt. 

Then  Aubert  and  Gerande  returned  to  Geneva,  and  dur- 
ing the  long  life  which  God  accorded  to  them,  they  imposed 
it  on  themselves  to  redeem  by  prayer  the  soul  of  the  cast- 
away of  science. 

THE  END 


A  Winter  Amid  the  Ice 

OR 

The  Cruise  of  the  Jeune  Hardie 


A  Winter  Amid  the  Ice 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  BLACK  FLAG 

(^    •^^    HE  cure  of  the  ancient  churcH  of  Dunkirk 
i-r^    %    ^^^^  ^^  ^^^  o'clock  on  the  12th  of  May,  18 — , 
I       X    to  perform,  according  to  his  custom,  low  mass 
_   _^   j^     for  a  few  pious  sinners. 

Attired  in  his  priestly  robes,  he  was  ready 
for  the  altar,  when  a  man  entered  the  sacristy, 
at  once  joyous  and  frightened.  He  was  a  sailor  of  some 
sixty  years,  but  still  vigorous  and  sturdy,  with  an  open,  hon- 
est countenance. 

"  Monsieur  the  cure,"  said  he,  "  stop  a  moment,  please." 
"  What  do  you  want  so  early  in  the  morning,  Jean  Corn- 
butte  ?  "  asked  the  cure. 

"  Want?     Why,  to  embrace  you  in  my  arms,  i'  faith!  " 
"  Well,  after  the  mass  at  which  you  are  going  to  be  pres- 
ent  " 

"  The  mass  ?  "  returned  the  old  sailor,  laughing.  "  Do 
you  think  you  are  going  to  say  your  mass  now,  and  that  I 
■will  let  you  do  so?  " 

"  And  why  should  I  not  say  my  mass  ?  "  asked  the  cure. 

"  Explain  yourself.     The  third  bell  has  sounded " 

"  Whether  it  has  or  not,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte,  "  it  will 
sound  many  times  to-day,  monsieur,  for  you  have  promised 
me  that  you  will  bless,  with  your  own  hands,  the  marriage 
of  my  son  Louis  and  my  niece  Marie!  " 

"  He  has  arrived,  then,"  said  the  cure  joyfully. 
"  It  Is  nearly  the  same  thing,"  replied  Cornbutte,  rubbing 
his  hands.     "  Our  brig  was  signaled  from  the  lookout  at 
sunrise, — our  brig,  which  you  yourself  christened  by  the 
good  name  of  the  '  Jeiine-Hardie ' !  " 

"  I  congratulate  you  with  all  my  heart,  Cornbutte,"  said 
the  cure.  "  I  remember  our  agreement.  The  vicar  will 
take  my  place,  and  I  will  put  myself  at  your  disposal  against 
your  dear  son's  arrival." 

55 


56  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

"  And  I  promise  you  that  he  will  not  make  you  fast  long," 
replied  the  sailor,  "  You  have  published  the  banns,  and  you 
will  only  have  to  absolve  him  from  the  sins  he  may  have 
committed  between  sky  and  water,  in  the  Northern  Ocean. 
It  is  a  grand  idea,  the  marriage  celebrated  the  very  day  he 
arrives,  and  my  son  Louis  shall  leave  his  ship  to  go  at  once 
to  the  church." 

"  Go,  then,  and  arrange  everything,  Cornbutte," 

"  I  fly,  monsieur  the  cure.     Good-morning!" 

The  sailor  hastened  with  rapid  steps  to  his  house,  which 
stood  on  the  quay,  whence  could  be  seen  the  Northern  Ocean, 
of  which  he  seemed  so  proud. 

Jean  Cornbutte  had  amassed  a  comfortable  sum  at  his 
calling.  After  having  long  commanded  the  vessels  of  a  rich 
ship-owner  of  Havre,  he  had  settled  down  in  his  native  town, 
where  he  had  caused  the  brig  Jeune-Hardie  to  be  constructed 
at  his  own  expense.  Several  successful  voyages  had  been 
made  in  the  North,  and  the  ship  always  found  a  good  sale 
for  its  cargoes  of  wood,  iron,  and  tar.  Jean  Cornbutte 
then  gave  up  the  command  of  her  to  his  son  Louis,  a  fine 
sailor  of  thirty,  who,  according  to  all  the  coasting  captains, 
was  the  boldest  mariner  in  Dunkirk. 

Louis  Cornbutte  had  gone  away  deeply  attached  to  Marie, 
his  father's  niece,  who  found  the  time  of  his  absence  very 
long  and  wear}^  Marie  was  scarcely  twenty.  She  was  a 
pretty  Flemish  girl,  with  some  Dutch  blood  in  her  veins. 
Her  mother,  when  she  was  dying,  had  confided  her  to  her 
brother,  Jean  Cornbutte.  The  brave  old  sailor  loved  her  as 
a  daughter,  and  saw  in  her  proposed  union  with  Louis  a 
source  of  real  and  durable  happiness. 

The  arrival  of  the  ship,  already  signaled  off  the  coast, 
completed  an  important  business  operation,  from  which  Jean 
Cornbutte  expected  large  profits.  The  Jeune-Hardie,  which 
had  left  three  months  before,  came  last  from  Bodoe,  on  the 
west  coast  of  Norway,  and  had  made  a  quick  voyage  thence. 

On  returning  home,  Jean  Cornbutte  found  the  whole 
house  alive.  Marie,  with  radiant  face,  had  assumed  her 
wedding-dress.  **  I  hope  the  ship  will  not  arrive  before  we 
are  ready !  "  she  said. 

"  Hurry,  little  one,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte,  "  for  the 
wind  is  north,  and  she  sails  well,  3^ou  know." 

"  Have  our  friends  been  told,  uncle?  "  asked  Marie. 


THE    BLACK    FLAG  57 

"  They  have." 

"  The  notary,  and  the  cure?  " 

"  Rest  easy.    You  alone  are  keeping  us  waiting." 

At  this  moment  Clerbaut,  an  old  crony,  came  in.  "  Well, 
old  Cornbutte,"  cried  he,  "  here's  luck !  Your  ship  has  ar- 
rived at  the  very  moment  that  the  government  has  decided 
to  contract  for  a  large  quantity  of  wood  for  the  navy!  " 

"  What  is  that  to  me?  "  replied  Jean  Cornbutte.  "  What 
care  I  for  the  government?  " 

'*  You  see,  Monsieur  Clerbaut,"  said  Marie,  "  one  thing 
only  absorbs  us, — Louis's  return." 

"  I  don't  dispute  that,"  replied  Clerbaut.  "  But — in  short 
— this  purchase  of  wood " 

"  And  you  shall  be  at  the  wedding,"  replied  Jean  Corn- 
butte, interrupting  the  merchant,  and  shaking  his  hand  as 
if  he  would  crush  it. 

"  This  purchase  of  wood " 

"  And  with  all  our  friends,  landsmen  and  seamen,  Cler- 
baut. I  have  already  informed  everybody,  and  I  shall  in- 
vite the  whole  crew  of  the  ship." 

"And  shall  we  go  and  await  them  on  the  pier?"  asked 
Marie. 

"  Indeed  we  will,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte.  "  We  will 
defile,  two  by  two,  with  the  violins  at  the  head." 

Jean  Cornbutte's  invited  guests  soon  arrived.  Though 
it  was  very  early,  not  a  single  one  failed  to  appear.  All 
congratulated  the  honest  old  sailor  whom  they  loved. 
Meanwhile  Marie,  kneeling  down,  changed  her  prayers  to 
God  into  thanksgivings.  She  soon  returned,  lovely  and 
decked  out,  to  the  company ;  all  the  women  kissed  her,  while 
the  men  vigorously  grasped  her  by  the  hand. 

It  was  a  curious  sight  to  see  this  joyous  group  taking  its 
way,  at  sunrise,  towards  the  sea.  The  news  of  the  ship's 
arrival  had  spread  through  the  port,  and  many  heads,  in 
nightcaps,  appeared  at  windows  and  half-opened  doors. 
Compliments  and  pleasant  nods  came  from  every  side. 

The  party  reached  the  pier  in  the  midst  of  a  concert  of 
praise  and  blessings.  The  weather  was  magnificent,  and 
the  sun  seemed  to  take  part  in  the  festivity.  A  fresh  north 
wind  made  the  waves  foam;  and  some  fishing-smacks,  their 
sails  trimmed  for  leaving  port,  streaked  the  sea  with  their 
rapid  wakes  between  the  breakwaters. 


58  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

The  two  piers  of  Dunkirk  stretch  far  out  into  the  sea. 
The  wedding-party  occupied  the  whole  width  of  the  north- 
ern pier,  and  soon  reached  a  small  house  situated  at  its  ex- 
tremity, inhabited  by  the  harbor-master.  The  wind  fresh- 
ened, and  the  Jeune-Hardie  ran  swiftly  under  her  topsails, 
mizzen,  brigantine,  gallant,  and  royal.  Jean  Cornbutte,  spy- 
glass in  hand,  responded  merrily  to  the  questions  of  his 
friends. 

"See  my  ship!"  he  cried;  "clean  and  steady  as  if  she 
had  been  rigged  at  Dunkirk!  Not  a  bit  of  damage  done, 
— not  a  rope  wanting !  " 

"  Do  you  see  your  son,  the  captain?  "  asked  one. 

"  No,  not  yet.     Why,  he's  at  his  business !  " 

"  Why  doesn't  he  run  up  his  flag?  "  asked  Clerbaut. 

"  I  scarcely  know.  He  has  a  reason  for  it,  I  have  no 
doubt." 

"  Your  spy-glass,  uncle  ?  "  said  Marie,  taking  it  from  him. 
"  I  want  to  be  the  first  to  see  him." 

"  But  he  is  my  son,  mademoiselle !  " 

"  He  has  been  your  son  for  thirty  years,"  answered  the 
young  girl,  laughing,  "  and  he  has  only  been  my  betrothed 
for  two  I  " 

The  Jeune-Hardie  was  now  entirely  visible.  Already  the 
crew  were  preparing  to  cast  anchor.  The  upper  sails  had 
been  reefed.  The  sailors  who  were  among  the  rigging 
might  be  recognized.  But  neither  Marie  nor  Jean  Corn- 
butte had  yet  been  able  to  wave  their  hands  at  the  captain 
of  the  ship. 

"  There's  the  mate,  Andre  Vasling,"  cried  Clerbaut. 

"  There's  Fidele,  the  carpenter,"  said  another. 

"  And  our  friend  Penellan,"  said  a  third,  saluting  the 
sailor  named. 

The  Jeune-Hardie  was  only  three  cables'  lengths  from 
the  shore,  when  a  black  flag  ascended  to  the  gaff  of  the 
brigantine.  There  was  mourning  on  board  the  boat.  A 
shudder  of  terror  seized  the  party  and  the  heart  of  the 
young  girl. 

The  ship  sadly  swayed  into  port,  and  an  icy  silence  reigned 
on  its  deck.  Soon  it  had  passed  the  end  of  the  pier.  Marie, 
Jean  Cornbutte,  and  all  their  friends  hurried  towards  the 
quay  at  which  she  was  to  anchor,  and  in  a  moment  found 
themselves  on  board. 


THE   BLACK   FLAG  59 

"  My  son !  "  said  Jean  Cornbutte. 

The  sailors,  with  uncovered  heads,  pointed  to  the  mourn- 
ing flag.  Marie  uttered  a  cry  of  anguish,  and  fell  into  old 
Cornbutte's  arms. 

Andre  Vasling  had  brought  back  the  Jcune-Hardie,  but 
Louis  Cornbutte,  Marie's  betrothed,  was  not  on  board. 


CHAPTER   n 

JEAN   cornbutte's   PROJECT 

As  soon  as  the  young  girl,  confided  to  the  care  of  the 
sympathizing  friends,  had  left  the  ship,  Andre  Vasling,  the 
mate,  apprised  Jean  Cornbutte  of  the  dreadful  event  which 
had  deprived  him  of  his  son,  narrated  in  the  ship's  journal 
as  follows : — 

"  Near  the  Maelstrom,  on  the  26th  of  April,  bad  weather 
and  south-west  winds.  Perceived  signals  of  distress  made 
by  a  schooner  to  the  leeward.  This  schooner,  deprived  of 
its  mizzen-mast,  was  running  towards  the  whirlpool,  under 
bare  poles.  Captain  Louis  Cornbutte,  seeing  that  this  ves- 
sel was  hastening  into  danger,  resolved  to  board  her.  De- 
spite the  remonstrances  of  his  crew,  he  had  the  long-boat 
lowered  into  the  sea,  and  got  into  it,  with  the  sailor  Cour- 
tois  and  the  helmsman  Pierre  Nouquet  The  crew  watched 
them  until  they  disappeared  in  the  fog.  Night  came  on. 
The  sea  became  more  and  more  boisterous.  The  Jeune- 
Hardie  was  in  danger  of  being  engulfed  by  the  Maelstrom. 
She  was  obliged  to  fly  before  the  wind.  For  several  days 
she  hovered  near  the  place  of  the  disaster.  The  long-boat, 
the  schooner.  Captain  Louis,  and  the  two  sailors  did  not 
reappear.  Andre  Vasling  then  called  the  crew  together,  took 
command  of  the  ship,  and  set  sail  for  Dunkirk." 

After  reading  this  dry  narrative,  Jean  Cornbutte  wept 
for  a  long  time;  if  he  had  any  consolation,  it  was  that  his 
son  had  died  in  attempting  to  save  his  fellow-men.  Then 
the  poor  father  left  the  ship,  the  sight  of  wliich  made  him 
wretched,  and  returned  to  his  desolate  home. 

The  sad  news  soon  spread  throughout  Dunkirk.  The 
many  friends  of  the  old  sailor  came  to  bring  him  their  sin- 
cere sympathy.  Then  the  sailors  of  the  Jeune-Hardic  gave 
a  more  particular  account  of  the  event,  and  Andre  Vasling 


« 
« 


6o  A   WINTER   AMID   THE    ICE 

told  Marie,  at  great  length,  of  the  devotion  of  her  betrothed 
to  the  last. 

When  he  ceased  weeping,  Jean  Cornbutte,  the  next  day 
after  the  ship's  arrival,  said,  "  Are  you  very  sure,  Andre, 
that  my  son  has  perished?  " 

Alas,  yes.  Monsieur  Jean,"  replied  the  mate. 
And  you  made  all  possible  search  for  him?  " 
All,  Monsieur  Cornbutte.     But  it  is  unhappily  but  too 
certain  that  he  and  the  two  sailors  were  sucked  down  in 
the  whirlpool  of  the  Maelstrom." 

"  Would  you  like,  Andre,  to  keep  the  second  command 
of  the  ship?" 

"  That  will  depend  upon  the  captain.  Monsieur  Jean." 

"  I  shall  be  the  captain,"  replied  the  old  sailor.  "  I  am 
going  to  discharge  the  cargo  with  all  speed,  make  up  my 
crew,  and  sail  in  search  of  my  son." 

"  Your  son  is  dead !  "  said  Andre  obstinately. 

"  It  is  possible,  Andre,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte  sharply, 
"  but  it  is  also  possible  that  he  saved  himself.  I  am  going 
to  rummage  all  the  ports  of  Norway,  and  when  I  am  fully 
convinced  that  I  shall  never  see  him  again,  I  will  return  here 
to  die !  " 

Andre  Vasling,  seeing  that  this  decision  was  irrevocable, 
did  not  insist  further,  but  went  away. 

Jean  Cornbutte  at  once  told  his  niece  of  his  intention,  and 
he  saw  a  few  rays  of  hope  glisten  across  her  tears.  It  had 
not  seemed  to  the  young  girl  that  her  lover's  death  could 
be  doubtful;  but  when  this  new  hope  entered  her  heart,  she 
embraced  it  without  reserve. 

The  old  sailor  determined  that  the  Jeune-Hardie  should 
put  to  sea  without  delay.  The  solidly  built  ship  had  no 
need  of  repairs.  Jean  Cornbutte  gave  his  sailors  notice 
that  if  they  wished  to  re-embark'  no  change  in  the  crew 
would  be  made.  He  alone  replaced  his  son  in  the  command 
of  the  brig.  None  of  the  comrades  of  Louis  Cornbutte 
failed  to  respond  to  his  call,  and  there  were  hardy  tars 
among  them, — Alaine  Turquiette,  Fidele  Misonne,  the  car- 
penter, Penellan  the  Breton,  who  replaced  Pierre  Nouquet 
as  helmsman,  and  Gradlin,  Aupic,  and  Gervique,  courageous 
and  well-tried  mariners. 

Jean  again  offered  Andre  Vasling  his  old  rank 
on  board.     The  first  mate  was  an  able  ofificer,  who  had 


JEAN    CORNBUTTE'S    PROJECT  6i 

proved  his  skill  in  bringing  the  Jeune-Hardie  into  port. 
Yet,  from  what  motive  could  not  be  told,  Andre  made  some 
difficulties  and  asked  time  for  reflection. 

"  As  you  will,  Andre,"  replied  Cornbutte.  "  Only  re- 
member that  if  you  accept,  you  will  be  welcome." 

Jean  had  a  devoted  sailor  in  Penellan  the  Breton,  who 
had  long  been  his  fellow-voyager.  In  times  gone  by,  little 
Marie  was  wont  to  pass  the  long  winter  evenings  in  the 
helmsman's  arms,  when  he  was  on  shore.  He  felt  a  fath- 
erly friendship  for  hep  and  she  had  for  him  an  affection 
quite  filial.  Penellan  hastened  the  fitting  out  of  the  ship 
with  all  his  energy,  all  the  more  because,  according  to  his 
opinion,  Andre  Vasling  had  not  perhaps  made  every  effort 
possible  to  find  the  castaways,  although  he  was  excusable 
from  the  responsibility  which  weighed  upon  him  as  captain. 

Within  a  week  the  Jeune-Hardie  was  ready  to  put  to 
sea.  Instead  of  merchandise,  she  was  completely  provided 
with  salt  meats,  biscuits,  barrels  of  flour,  potatoes,  pork, 
wine,  brandy,  coffee,  tea,  and  tobacco. 

The  departure  was  fixed  for  the  22nd  of  May.  On  the 
evening  before,  Andre  Vasling,  who  had  not  yet  given  his 
answer  to  Jean  Cornbutte,  came  to  his  house.  He  was 
still  undecided,  and  did  not  know  which  course  to  take. 

Jean  was  not  at  home,  though  the  house  door  was  open. 
Andre  went  into  the  passage,  next  to  Marie's  chamber,  where 
the  sound  of  an  animated  conversation  struck  his  ear.  He 
listened  attentively,  and  recognized  the  voices  of  Penellan 
and  Marie. 

The  discussion  had  no  doubt  been  going  on  for  some  time, 
for  the  young  girl  seemed  to  be  stoutly  opposing  what  the 
Breton  sailor  said. 

'*  How  old  is  my  uncle  Cornbutte?  "  said  Marie. 

"  Something  about  sixty  years,"  replied  Penellan. 
Well,  is  he  not  going  to  brave  danger  to  find  his  son?  " 
Our  captain  is  still  a  sturdy  man,"  returned  the  sailor. 
"  He  has  a  body  of  oak  and  muscles  as  hard  as  a  spare  spar. 
So  I  am  not  afraid  to  have  him  go  to  sea  again !  " 

"  My  good  Penellan,"  said  Marie,  "  one  is  strong  when 
one  loves !  Besides,  I  have  full  confidence  in  the  aid  of 
Heaven.     You  understand  me,  and  will  help  me." 

"No!"  said  Penellan.  "It  is  impossible,  Marie.  Who 
knows  whither  we  shall  drift,  or  what  we  must  suffer?  How 


«( 


{( 


62  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

many  vigorous  men  have  I  seen  lose  their  lives  in  these 
seas ! " 

"  Penellan,"  returned  the  young  girl,  "  if  you  refuse  me, 
I  shall  believe  that  you  do  not  love  me  any  longer." 

Andre  Vasling  guessed  the  young  girl's  resolution.  He 
reflected  a  moment,  and  his  course  was  determined  on. 

"  Jean  Cornbutte,"  said  he,  advancing  towards  the  old 
sailor,  who  now  entered,  "  I  will  go  with  you.  The  cause 
of  my  hesitation  has  disappeared,  and  you  may  count  upon 
my  devotion." 

"  I  have  never  doubted  you,  Andre  Vasling,"  replied  Jean 
Cornbutte,  grasping  him  by  the  hand.  "  Marie,  my  child!  " 
he  added,  calling  in  a  loud  voice. 

Marie  and  Penellan  made  their  appearance. 

"  We  shall  set  sail  to-morrow  at  daybreak,  with  the  out- 
going tide,"  said  Jean.  "  My  poor  Marie,  this  is  the  last 
evening  that  we  shall  pass  together." 

"  Uncle !  "  cried  Marie,  throwing  herself  into  his  arms. 
Marie,  by  the  help  of  God,  I  will  bring  your  lover  back." 
Yes,  we  will  find  Louis,"  added  Andre  Vasling. 

"  You  are  going  with  us,  then?  "  asked  Penellan  quickly. 

"  Yes,  Penellan,  Andre  Vasling  is  to  be  my  first  mate," 
answered  Jean. 

"  Oh,  oh !  "  ejaculated  the  Breton,  in  a  singular  tone. 

"  His  advice  will  be  useful,  for  he  is  able  and  enterpris- 

"  And  yourself,  captain,"  said  Andre.  "  You  will  set  us 
all  a  good  example,  for  you  have  still  as  much  vigor  as  ex- 
perience." 

"  Well,  my  friends,  good-by  till  to-morrow.  Go  on 
board  and  make  the  final  arrangements.  Good-by,  Andre; 
good-by,  Penellan." 

The  mate  and  the  sailor  went  out  together,  and  Jean  and 
Marie  remained  alone.  Many  bitter  tears  were  shed  during 
that  sad  evening.  Jean  Cornbutte,  seeing  Marie  so 
wretched,  resolved  to  spare  her  the  pain  of  separation  by 
leaving  the  house  on  the  morrow  without  her  knowledge. 
So  he  gave  her  a  last  kiss  that  evening,  and  at  three  o'clock 
next  morning  was  up  and  away. 

The  departure  of  the  brig  had  attracted  all  the  old  sail- 
or's friends  to  the  pier.  The  cure,  who  was  to  have  blessed 
Marie's  union  with  Louis,  came  to  give  a  last  benediction 


JEAN   CORNBUTTE'S   PROJECT  63 

on  the  ship.     Rough  grasps  of  the  hand  were  silently  ex- 
changed, and  Jean  went  on  board. 

The  crew  were  all  there.  Andre  Vasling  gave  the  last 
orders.  The  sails  were  spread,  and  the  brig  rapidly  passed 
out  under  a  stiff  northwest  breeze,  whilst  the  cure,  upright 
in  the  midst  of  the  kneeling  spectators,  committed  the  vessel 
to  the  hands  of  God.  "Whither  goes  this  ship?  She  fol- 
lows the  perilous  route  upon  which  so  many  castaways  have 
been  lost!  She  has  no  certain  destination.  She  must  ex- 
pect every  peril,  and  be  able  to  brave  them  without  hesitat- 
ing. God  alone  knows  where  it  will  be  her  fate  to  anchor. 
May  God  guide  her!  " 


CHAPTER  III 

A  RAY  OF  HOPE 

At  that  time  of  the  year  the  season  was  favorable,  and 
the  crew  might  hope  promptly  to  reach  the  scene  of  the  ship- 
wreck. 

Jean  Cornbutte's  plan  was  naturally  traced  out.  He 
counted  on  stopping  at  the  Faroe  Islands,  whither  the  north 
wind  might  have  carried  the  castaways;  then,  if  he  was  con- 
vinced that  they  had  not  been  received  in  any  of  the  ports  of 
that  locality,  he  would  continue  his  search  beyond  the  North- 
ern Ocean,  ransack  the  whole  western  coast  of  Norway  as 
far  as  Bodoe,  the  place  nearest  the  scene  of  the  shipwreck; 
and,  if  necessary,  farther  still. 

Andre  Vasling  thought,  contrary  to  the  captain's  opin- 
ion, that  the  coast  of  Iceland  should  be  explored ;  but  Penel- 
lan  observed  that,  at  the  time  of  the  catastrophe,  the  gale 
came  from  the  west;  which,  while  it  gave  hope  that  the 
unfortunates  had  not  been  forced  towards  the  gulf  of  the 
Maelstrom,  gave  ground  for  supposing  that  they  might  have 
been  thrown  on  the  Norwegian  coast. 

It  was  determined,  then,  that  this  coast  should  be  fol- 
lowed as  closely  as  possible,  so  as  to  recognize  any  traces 
of  them  that  might  appear. 

The  day  after  sailing,  Jean  Cornbutte,  intent  upon  a  map, 
was  absorbed  in  reflection,  when  a  small  hand  touched  his 
shoulder,  and  a  soft  voice  said  in  his  ear,  "  Have  good  cour- 
age, uncle." 


64  A    WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

He  turned,  and  was  stupefied.     Marie  embraced  him. 

"  Marie,  my  daughter,  on  board!  "  he  cried. 

"  The  wife  may  well  go  in  search  of  her  husband,  when 
the  father  embarks  to  save  Iiis  child." 

"  Unhappy  Marie !  How  wilt  thou  support  our  fatigues ! 
Dost  know  thy  presence  may  retard  our  search?  " 

"  No,  uncle,  for  I  am  strong." 

"  Who  knows  whither  we  shall  be  forced  to  go,  Marie  ? 
Look  at  this  map.  We  are  approacJiing  places  dangerous 
even  for  us  sailors,  hardened  though  we  are  to  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  sea.     And  thou,  frail  child?  " 

"  But,  uncle,  I  come  from  a  family  of  sailors.  I  am  used 
to  stories  of  combats  and  tempests.  I  am  with  you  ;..:id  my 
old  friend  Penellan!" 

"Penellan!     It  was  he  who  concealed  you  on  board?  " 

"  Yes,  uncle ;  but  only  when  he  saw  that  I  was  deter- 
mined to  come  without  his  help." 

"  Penellan !  "  cried  Jean.     Penellan  entered. 

"  It  is  not  possible  to  undo  what  you  have  done,  Pent  • " 
but  remember  that  you  are  responsible  for  Marie's  lit\'. 

"  Rest  easy,  captain,"  replied  Penellan.  "The  httle  o 
has  force  and  courage,  and  will  be  our  guardian  Jiir 
And  then,  captain,  you  know  it  is  my  theory,  that  all  in  :  - 
world  happens  for  the  best." 

The  young  girl  was  installed  in  a  cabin,  which  the  ziUc.r:. 
soon  got  ready  for  her,  and  which  they  made  as  com-oiL- 
able  as  possible. 

A  week  later  the  Jeime-Hardie  stopped  at  the  Faroe  Is- 
lands, but  the  most  minute  search  was  fruitless.  No  wreck, 
or  fragments  of  a  ship  had  come  upon  these  coasts.  The 
brig  resumed  its  voyage,  after  a  stay  of  ten  days,  about  the 
loth  of  June.  The  sea  was  calm,  and  the  winds  were  favor- 
able. The  ship  sped  rapidly  towards  the  Norwegian  coast, 
which  it  explored  without  better  result. 

Jean  Cornbutte  determined  to  proceed  to  Bodoe.  Per- 
haps he  would  there  learn  the  name  of  the  shipwrecked 
schooner  to  succor  which  Louis  and  the  sailors  had  sacri- 
ficed themselves. 

On  the  30th  of  June  the  brig  cast  anchor  in  that  port. 

The  authorities  of  Bodoe  gave  Jean  Cornbutte  a  bottle 

found  on  the  coast,  which  contained  a  document  bearing 

these  words :  "  This  26th  April,  on  board  the  Frooern,  after 
V.  I  V©m« 


A   RAY    OF    HOPE  65 

being  accosted  by  the  long-boat  of  the  Jeiine-Hardie,  we 
were  drawn  by  the  currents  towards  the  ice.  God  have  pity 
on  us ! " 

Jean  Cornbutte's  first  impulse  was  to  thank  Heaven.  He 
thought  himself  on  his  son's  track.  The  Frooern  was  a 
Norwegian  sloop  of  which  there  had  been  no  news,  but  which 
had  evidently  been  drawn  northward. 

Not  a  day  was  to  be  lost.  The  Jciine-Hardie  was  at  once 
put  in  condition  to  brave  the  perils  of  the  polar  seas.  Fidele 
Misonne,  the  carpenter,  carefully  examined  her,  and  as- 
sured himself  that  her  solid  construction  might  resist  the 
shock  of  the  ice-masses. 

Penellan,  who  had  already  engaged  in  whale-fishing  in 
the  arctic  waters,  took  care  that  woolen  and  fur  coverings, 
many  sealskin  moccasins,  and  wood  for  the  making  of 
sledges  with  which  to  cross  the  ice-fields  were  put  on  board. 
The  amount  of  provisions  was  increased,  and  spirits  and 
charcoal  were  added;  for  it  might  be  that  they  would  have 
to  winter  at  some  point  on  the  Greenland  coast.  They  also 
procured,  with  much  difficulty  and  at  a  high  price,  a  quantity 
of  lemons,  for  preventing  or  curing  the  scurvy,  that  terrible 
disease  which  decimates  crews  in  the  icy  regions.  The 
ship's  hold  was  filled  with  salt  meat,  biscuits,  brandy,  etc., 
as  the  steward's  room  no  longer  sufficed.  They  provided 
themselves,  also,  with  a  large  quantity  of  "  pemmican,"  an 
Indian  preparation  which  concentrates  much  nutrition  within 
a  small  volume. 

By  order  of  the  captain,  some  saws  were  put  on  board 
for  cutting  the  ice-fields,  as  well  as  picks  and  wedges  for 
separating  them.  The  captain  determined  to  procure  some 
dogs  to  be  used  for  drawing  the  sledges  on  the  Greenland 
coast. 

The  whole  crew  was  engaged  in  these  preparations,  and 
displayed  great  activity.  The  sailors  Aupic,  Gervique,  and 
Gradlin  zealously  obeyed  Penellan's  orders;  and  he  admon- 
ished them  not  to  accustom  themselves  to  woolen  garments, 
though  the  temperature  in  this  latitude,  situated  just  beyond 
the  polar  circle,  was  very  low. 

Penellan,  though  he  said  nothing,  narrowly  watched  every 
action  of  Andre  Vasling.  This  man  was  Dutch  by  birth, 
came  from  no  one  knew  whither,  but  was  at  least  a  good 
sailor,  having  made  two  voyages  on  board  the  Jcune-Hardie. 


66  A    WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

Penellan  would  not  as  yet  accuse  him  of  anything,  unless  it 
was  that  he  kept  near  Marie  too  constantly,  but  he  did  not 
let  him  out  of  his  sight. 

Thanks  to  the  energy  of  the  crew,  the  brig  was  equipped 
by  the  i6th  of  July,  a  fortnight  after  its  arrival  at  Bodoe. 
It  was  then  the  favorable  season  for  attempting  explora- 
tions in  the  Arctic  Seas.  The  thaw  had  been  going  on  for 
two  months,  and  the  search  might  be  carried  farther  north. 
The  Jeune-Hardie  set  sail,  and  directed  her  way  towards 
Cape  Brewster,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Greenland,  near  the 
70th  degree  of  latitude. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IN   THE   PASSES 

About  the  23rd  of  July  a  reflection,  raised  above  the  sea, 
announced  the  presence  of  the  first  icebergs,  which,  emerg- 
ing from  Davis's  Straits,  advanced  into  the  ocean.  From 
this  moment  a  vigilant  watch  was  ordered  to  the  look-out 
men,  for  it  was  important  not  to  come  into  collision  with 
these  enormus  masses. 

The  crew  was  divided  into  two  watches.  The  first  was 
composed  of  Fidele  Misonne,  Gradlin,  and  Gervique;  and 
the  second  of  Andre  Vasling.  Aupic,  and  Penellan.  These 
watches  were  to  last  only  two  hours,  for  in  those  cold  regions 
a  man's  strength  is  diminished  one-half.  Though  the  Jeune- 
Hardie  was  not  yet  beyond  the  63rd  degree  of  latitude,  the 
thermometer  already  stood  at  nine  degrees  centigrade  below 
zero. 

Rain  and  snow  often  fell  abundantly.  On  fair  days, 
when  the  wind  was  not  too  violent,  Marie  remained  on 
deck,  and  her  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  uncouth  scenes 
of  the  Polar  Seas. 

On  the  1st  of  August  she  was  talking  with  her  uncle, 
Penellan,  and  Andre  Vasling.  The  ship  was  then  entering 
a  channel  three  miles  wide,  across  which  broken  masses  of 
ice  were  rapidly  descending  southwards. 

"  When  shall  we  see  land  ?  "  asked  the  young  girl, 

"  In  four  days  at  the  latest,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte. 

**  But  shall  we  find  there  fresh  traces  of  Louis?  " 

"Perhaps  so,  my  daughter;  but  I  fear  that  we  are  still 


IN    THE    PASSES  67 

far  from  the  end  of  our  voyage.     It  is  to  be  feared  that  the 
Frooern  was  driven  farther  northward." 

"  That  may  be,"  added  Andre  VasHng,  "  for  the  squall 
which  separated  us  from  the  Norwegian  coast  lasted  three 
days,  and  in  three  days  a  ship  makes  good  headway  when 
it  is  no  longer  able  to  resist  the  wind." 

"  Permit  me  to  tell  you,  Monsieur  Vasling,"  replied  Penel- 
lan,  "  that  that  was  in  April,  that  the  thaw  had  not  then  be- 
gun, and  that  therefore  the  Frooern  must  have  been  soon 
arrested  by  the  ice." 

"  And  no  doubt  dashed  into  a  thousand  pieces,"  said  the 
mate,  "  as  her  crew  could  not  manage  her." 

"  But  these  ice-fields,"  returned  Penellan,  "  gave  her  an 
easy  means  of  reaching  land,  from  which  she  could  not  have 
been  far  distant." 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  said  Jean  Cornbutte,  interrupting  the 
discussion'  which  was  daily  renewed  between  the  mate  and 
the  helmsman.     "  I  think  we  shall  see  land  before  long." 

"There  it  is!"  cried  Marie.     "See  those  mountains!" 

**  No,  my  child,"  replied  her  uncle.  "  Those  are  moun- 
tains of  ice,  the  first  we  have  met  with.  They  would  shat- 
ter us  like  glass  if  we  got  entangled  between  them.  Penel- 
lan and  Vasling,  overlook  the  men." 

These  floating  masses,  more  than  fifty  of  which  now  ap- 
peared at  the  horizon,  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  brig. 
Penellan  took  the  helm,  and  Jean  Cornbutte,  mounted  on 
the  gallant,  indicated  the  route  to  take. 

Towards  evening  the  brig  was  entirely  surrounded  by 
these  moving  rocks,  the  crushing  force  of  which  is  irresis- 
tible. It  was  necessary,  then,  to  cross  this  fleet  of  moun- 
tains, for  prudence  prompted  them  to  keep  straight  ahead. 
Another  difficulty  was  added  to  these  perils.  The  direction 
of  the  ship  could  not  be  accurately  determined,  as  all  the 
surrounding  points  constantly  changed  position,  and  thus 
failed  to  afford  a  fixed  perspective.  The  darkness  soon  in- 
creased with  the  fog.  Marie  descended  to  her  cabin,  and 
the  whole  crew,  by  the  captain's  orders,  remained  on  deck. 
They  were  armed  with  long  boat-poles,  with  iron  spikes,  to 
preserve  the  ship  from  collision  with  the  ice. 

The  ship  soon  entered  a  strait  so  narrow  that  often  the 
ends  of  her  yards  were  grazed  by  the  drifting  mountains, 
and  her  booms  seemed  about  to  be  driven  in.     They  were 


68  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

even  forced  to  trim  the  mainyard  so  as  to  touch  the  shrouds. 
Happily  these  precautions  did  not  deprive  the  vessel  of  any 
of  its  speed,  for  the  wind  could  only  reach  the  upper  sails, 
and  these  sufficed  to  carry  her  forward  rapidly.  Thanks  to 
her  slender  hull,  she  passed  through  these  valleys,  which 
were  filled  with  whirlpools  of  rain,  whilst  the  icebergs 
crushed  against  each  other  wath  sharp  cracking  and  splitting. 

Jean  Cornbutte  returned  to  the  deck.  His  eyes  could  not 
penetrate  the  surrounding  darkness.  It  became  necessary 
to  furl  the  upper  sails,  for  the  ship  threatened  to  ground, 
and  if  she  did  so  she  was  lost. 

"Cursed  voyage!"  growled  Andre  Vasling  among  the 
sailors,  who,  forward,  were  avoiding  the  most  menacing 
ice-blocks  with  their  boat-hooks. 

"  Truly,  if  we  escape  we  shall  owe  a  fine  candle  to  Our 
Lady  of  the  Ice!  "  replied  Aupic. 

"  Who  knows  how  many  floating  mountains  we  have  got 
to  pass  through  yet?  "  added  the  mate. 

"  And  who  can  guess  what  we  shall  find  beyond  them?  " 
replied  the  sailor. 

"  Don't  talk  so  much,  prattler,"  said  Gervique,  "  and  look 
out  on  your  side.  When  we  have  got  by  them,  it'll  be  time 
to  grumble.     Look  out  for  your  boat-hook !  " 

At  this  moment  an  enormous  block  of  ice,  in  the  narrow 
strait  through  which  the  brig  was  passing,  came  rapidly 
down  upon  her,  and  it  seemed  impossible  to  avoid  it,  for  it 
barred  the  whole  width  of  the  channel,  and  the  brig  could 
not  heave-to. 

"  Do  you  feel  the  tiller?  "  asked  Cornbutte  of  Penellan. 

"  No,  captain.     The  ship  does  not  answer  the  helm." 

"  Ohe,  boys ! "  cried  the  captain  to  the  crew ;  "  don't  be 
afraid,  brace  your  hooks  against  the  gunwale." 

The  block  was  nearly  sixty  feet  high,  and  if  it  threw  itself 
upon  the  brig  she  would  be  crushed.  There  was  an  unde- 
finable  moment  of  suspense,  and  the  crew  retreated  back- 
ward, abandoning  their  posts  despite  the  captain's  orders. 

But  at  the  instant  when  the  block  was  not  more  than  half 
a  cable's  length  from  the  Jeune-Hardie,  a  dull  sound  was 
heard,  and  a  veritable  waterspout  fell  upon  the  bow  of  the 
vessel,  which  then  rose  on  the  back  of  an  enormous  billow. 

The  sailors  uttered  a  cry  of  terror;  but  when  they  looked 
before  them  the  block  had  disappeared,  the  passage  was 


IN    THE    PASSES  '69 

free,  and  beyond  an  immense  plain  of  water,  illumined  by 
the  rays  of  the  declining  sun,  assured  them  of  an  easy  navi- 
gation. 

"  All's  well !  "  cried  Penellan.  "  Let's  trim  our  topsails 
and  mizzen ! " 

An  incident  very  common  in  those  parts  had  just  oc- 
curred. When  these  masses  are  detached  from  one  another 
in  the  thawing  season,  they  float  in  a  perfect  equilibrium; 
but  on  reaching  the  ocean,  where  the  water  is  relatively 
warmer,  they  are  speedily  undermined  at  the  base,  which 
melts  little  by  little,  and  which  is  also  shaken  by  the  shock 
of  other  ice-masses.  A  moment  comes  when  the  center  of 
gravity  of  these  masses  is  displaced,  and  then  they  are  com- 
pletely overturned.  Only,  if  this  block  had  turned  over  two 
minutes  later,  it  would  have  fallen  on  the  brig  and  carried 
her  down  in  its  fall. 


CHAPTER  V 

LIVERPOOL  ISLAND 

On  the  3rd  of  August  the  brig  confronted  immovable  and 
united  ice-masses.  The  passages  were  seldom  more  than  a 
cable's  length  in  width,  and  the  ship  was  forced  to  make 
many  turnings,  which  sometimes  placed  her  heading  the 
wind. 

Penellan  watched  over  Marie  with  paternal  care,  and, 
despite  the  cold,  prevailed  upon  her  to  spend  two  or  three 
hours  every  day  on  deck,  for  exercise  had  become  one  of 
the  indispensable  conditions  of  health. 

Marie's  courage  did  not  falter.  She  even  comforted  the 
sailors  with  her  cheerful  talk,  and  all  of  them  became  warmly 
attached  to  her.  Andre  Vasling  showed  himself  more  at- 
tentive than  ever,  and  seized  every  occasion  to  be  in  her 
company;  but  the  young  girl,  with  a  sort  of  presentiment, 
accepted  his  services  with  some  coldness.  It  may  be  easily 
conjectured  that  Andre's  conversation  referred  more  to  the 
future  than  to  the  present,  and  that  he  did  not  conceal  the 
sHght  probability  there  was  of  saving  the  castaways.  He 
was  convinced  that  they  were  lost,  and  the  young  girl  ought 
thenceforth  to  confide  her  existence  to  someone  else. 

Marie  had  not  as  yet  comprehended  Andre's  designs,  for. 


70  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

to  his  great  disgust,  he  could  never  find  an  opportunity  to 
talk  long  with  her  alone.  Penellan  had  always  an  excuse 
for  interfering,  and  destroying  the  effect  of  Andre's  words 
by  the  hopeful  opinions  he  expressed. 

Marie,  meanwhile,  did  not  remain  idle.  Acting  on  the 
helmsman's  advice,  she  set  to  work  on  her  winter  garments ; 
for  it  was  necessary  that  she  should  completely  change  her 
clothing.  The  cut  of  her  dresses  was  not  suitable  for  these 
cold  latitudes.  She  made,  therefore,  a  sort  of  furred  pan- 
taloons, the  ends  of  which  were  lined  with  seal-skin;  and  her 
narrow  skirts  came  only  to  her  knees,  so  as  not  to  be  in  con- 
tact with  the  layers  of  snow  with  which  the  winter  would 
cover  the  ice-fields.  A  fur  mantle,  fitting  closely  to  the 
figure  and  supplied  with  a  hood,  protected  the  upper  part  of 
her  body. 

In  the  intervals  of  their  work,  the  sailors,  too,  prepared 
clothing  with  which  to  shelter  themselves  from  the  cold. 
They  made  a  quantity  of  high  seal-skin  boots,  with  which 
to  cross  the  snow  during  their  explorations.  They  worked 
thus  all  the  time  that  the  navigation  in  the  straits  lasted. 

Andre  Vasling,  who  was  an  excellent  shot,  several  times 
brought  down  aquatic  birds  with  his  gun ;  innumerable  flocks 
of  these  were  always  careering  about  the  ship.  A  kind  of 
eider-duck  provided  the  crew  with  very  palatable  food, 
which  relieved  the  monotony  of  the  salt  meat. 

At  last  the  brig  came  in  sight  of  Cape  Brewster.  A  long- 
boat was  put  to  sea.  Jean  Cornbutte  and  Penellan  reached 
the  coast,  which  was  entirely  deserted. 

The  ship  at  once  directed  its  course  towards  Liverpool 
Island,  discovered  in  1821  by  Captain  Scoresby,  and  the 
crew  gave  a  hearty  cheer  when  they  saw  the  natives  run- 
ning along  the  shore.  Communication  was  speedily  estab- 
lished with  them,  thanks  to  Penellan's  knowledge  of  a  few 
words  of  their  language,  and  some  phrases  which  the  natives 
themselves  had  learnt  of  the  whalers  who  frequented  those 
parts. 

These  Greenlanders  were  small  and  squat;  they  were  not 
more  than  four  feet  ten  inches  high;  they  had  red,  round 
faces,  and  low  foreheads;  their  hair,  flat  and  black,  fell  over 
their  shoulders;  their  teeth  were  decayed,  and  they  seemed 
to  be  affected  by  the  sort  of  leprosy  which  is  peculiar  to 
ichthyophagous  tribes. 


LIVERPOOL    ISLAND  71 

In  exchange  for  pieces  of  iron  and  brass,  of  which  they 
are  extremely  covetous,  these  poor  creatures  brought  bear 
furs,  the  skins  of  sea-calves,  sea-dogs,  sea-wolves,  and  all 
the  animals  generally  known  as  seals.  Jean  Cornbutte  ob- 
tained these  at  a  low  price,  and  they  were  certain  to  become 
most  useful. 

The  captain  then  made  the  natives  understand  that  he 
was  in  search  of  a  shipwrecked  vessel,  and  asked  them  if 
they  had  heard  of  it.  One  of  them  immediately  drew  some- 
thing like  a  ship  on  the  snow,  and  indicated  that  a  vessel  of 
that  sort  had  been  carried  northward  three  months  before : 
he  also  managed  to  make  it  understood  that  the  thaw  and 
breaking  up  of  the  ice-fields  had  prevented  the  Greenlanders 
from  going  in  search  of  it;  and,  indeed,  their  very  light 
canoes,  which  they  managed  with  paddles,  could  not  go  to 
sea  at  that  time. 

This  news,  though  meager,  restored  hope  to  the  hearts  of 
the  sailors,  and  Jean  Cornbutte  had  no  difficulty  in  persuad- 
ing them  to  advance  farther  in  the  polar  seas. 

Before  quitting  Liverpool  Island,  the  captain  purchased 
a  pack  of  six  Esquimaux  dogs,  which  were  soon  acclimatized 
on  board.  The  ship  weighed  anchor  on  the  morning  of  the 
1 0th  of  August,  and  sailed  north  under  a  brisk  wind. 

The  longest  days  of  the  year  had  now  arrived;  that  is, 
the  sun,  in  these  high  latitudes,  did  not  set,  and  reached  the 
highest  point  of  the  spirals  which  it  described  above  the 
horizon.  This  total  absence  of  night  was  not,  however, 
very  apparent,  for  the  fog,  rain,  and  snow  sometimes  en- 
veloped the  ship  in  real  darkness. 

Jean  Cornbutte,  who  was  resolved  to  advance  as  far  as 
possible,  began  to  take  measures  of  health.  The  space  be- 
tween decks  was  securely  enclosed,  and  every  morning  care 
was  taken  to  ventilate  it  with  fresh  air.  The  stoves  were 
installed,  and  the  pipes  so  disposed  as  to  yield  as  much  heat 
as  possible.  The  sailors  were  advised  to  wear  only  one 
woolen  shirt  over  their  cotton  shirts,  and  to  hermetically 
close  their  seal  cloaks.  The  fires  were  not  yet  lighted,  for 
it  was  important  to  reserve  the  wood  and  charcoal  for  the 
most  intense  cold.  Warm  beverages,  such  as  coffee  and 
tea,  were  regularly  distributed  to  the  sailors  morning  and 
evening ;  and  as  it  was  important  to  live  on  meat,  they  shot 
ducks  and  teal,  which  abounded  in  these  parts. 


72  A   WINTER  AMID   THE   ICE 

Jean  Cornbutte  also  placed  at  the  summit  of  the  main- 
mast a  "  crow's  nest,"  a  sort  of  cask  open  at  one  end,  in 
which  a  look-out  remained  constantly,  to  observe  the  ice- 
fields. 

Two  days  after  the  brig  had  lost  sight  of  Liverpool  Island 
the  temperature  became  suddenly  colder  under  the  influence 
of  a  dry  wind.  Some  indications  of  winter  were  perceived. 
The  ship  had  not  a  moment  to  lose,  for  soon  the  way  would 
be  entirely  closed  to  her.  She  advanced  across  the  straits, 
among  which  lay  ice-plains  thirty  feet  thick. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3rd  of  September  the  Jeune-Hardie 
reached  the  head  of  Gael-Hamkes  Bay.  Land  was  then 
thirty  miles  to  the  leeward.  It  was  the  first  time  that  the 
brig  had  stopped  before  a  mass  of  ice  which  offered  no  out- 
let, and  which  was  at  least  a  mile  wide.  The  saws  must 
now  be  used  to  cut  the  ice.  Penellan,  Aupic,  Gradlin,  and 
Turquiette  were  chosen  to  work  the  saws,  which  had  been 
carried  outside  the  ship.  The  direction  of  the  cutting  was 
so  determined  that  the  current  might  carry  off  the  pieces 
detached  from  the  mass.  The  whole  crew  worked  at  this 
task  for  nearly  twenty  hours.  They  found  it  very  painful 
to  remain  on  the  ice,  and  were  often  obliged  to  plunge  into 
the  water  up  to  their  middle;  their  seal-skin  garments  pro- 
tected them  but  imperfectly  from  the  damp. 

Moreover,  all  excessive  toil  in  those  high  latitudes  is  soon 
followed  by  an  overwhelming  weariness ;  for  the  breath  soon 
fails,  and  the  strongest  are  forced  to  rest  at  frequent  inter- 
vals. At  last  the  navigation  became  free,  and  the  brig  was 
towed  beyond  the  mass  which  had  so  long  obstructed  her 
course. 

CHAPTER  VI 

THE  QUAKING  OF  THE  ICE 

For  several  days  the  Jeune-Hardie  struggled  against  for- 
midable obstacles.  The  crew  were  almost  all  the  time  at 
work  with  the  saws,  and  often  powder  was  used  to  blow  up 
the  enormous  blocks  of  ice  which  closed  the  way. 

On  the  1 2th  of  September  the  sea  consisted  of  one  solid 
plain,  without  outlet  or  passage,  surrounding  the  vessel  on 
all  sides,  so  that  she  could  neither  advance  nor  retreat.  The 
temperature  remained  at  an  average  of  sixteen  degrees  be- 


THE   QUAKING   OF   THE   ICE  73 

low  zero.  The  winter  season  had  come  on,  with  its  suf- 
ferings and  dangers.  The  Jeune-Hardie  was  at  this  time 
near  the  21st  degree  of  longitude  west  and  the  76th 
degree  of  latitude  north,  at  the  entrance  of  Gael-Hamkes 
Bay. 

Jean  Cornbutte  made  his  preliminary  preparations  for 
wintering.  He  first  searched  for  a  creek  whose  position 
would  shelter  the  ship  from  the  wind  and  breaking  up  of 
the  ice.  Land,  which  was  probably  thirty  miles  west,  could 
alone  offer  him  secure  shelter,  and  he  resolved  to  attempt  to 
reach  it. 

He  set  out  on  the  12th  of  September,  accompanied  by 
Andre  Vasling,  Penellan,  and  the  two  sailors  Gradlin  and 
Turquiette.  Each  man  carried  provisions  for  two  days,  for 
it  was  not  likely  that  their  expedition  would  occupy  a  longer 
time,  and  they  were  supplied  with  skins  on  which  to  sleep. 

Snow  had  fallen  in  great  abundance  and  was  not  yet 
frozen  over;  and  this  delayed  them  seriously.  They  often 
sank  to  their  waists,  and  could  only  advance  very  cautiously, 
for  fear  of  falling  into  crevices.  Penellan,  who  walked  in 
front,  carefully  sounded  each  depression  with  his  iron- 
pointed  staff. 

About  five  in  the  evening  the  fog  began  to  thicken,  and 
the  little  band  were  forced  to  stop.  Penellan  looked  about 
for  an  iceberg  which  might  shelter  them  from  the  wind,  and 
after  refreshing  themselves,  with  regrets  that  they  had  no 
warm  drink,  they  spread  their  skins  on  the  snow,  wrapped 
themselves  up,  lay  close  to  each  other,  and  soon  dropped 
asleep  from  sheer  fatigue. 

The  next  morning  Jean  Cornbutte  and  his  companions 
were  buried  beneath  a  bed  of  snow  more  than  a  foot  deep. 
Happily  their  skins,  perfectly  impermeable,  had  preserved 
them,  and  the  snow  itself  had  aided  in  retaining  their  heat, 
which  it  prevented  from  escaping. 

The  captain  gave  the  signal  of  departure,  and  about  noon 
they  at  last  descried  the  coast,  which  at  first  they  could 
scarcely  distinguish.  High  ledges  of  ice,  cut  perpendicu- 
larly, rose  on  the  shore;  their  variegated  summits,  of  all 
forms  and  shapes,  reproduced  on  a  large  scale  the  phe- 
nomena of  crystallization.  Myriads  of  aquatic  fowl  flew 
about  at  the  approach  of  the  party,  and  the  seals,  lazily  lying 
on  the  ice,  plunged  hurriedly  into  the  depths. 


74  A    WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

"  I'  faith !  "  said  Penellan,  "  we  shall  not  want  for  either 
furs  or  game !  " 

"  Those  animals,"  returned  Cornbutte,  "  give  every  evi- 
dence of  having  been  already  visited  by  men;  for  in  places 
totally  uninhabited  they  would  not  be  so  wild." 

"  None  but  Greenlanders  frequent  these  parts,"  said  An- 
dre Vasling. 

"  I  see  no  trace  of  their  passage,  however ;  neither  any 
encampment  nor  the  smallest  hut,"  said  Penellan,  who  had 
climbed  up  a  high  peak.  "  O  captain ! "  he  continued, 
"  come  here!  I  see  a  point  of  land  which  will  shelter  us 
splendidly  from  the  northeast  wind." 

"  Come  along,  boys !  "  said  Jean  Cornbutte. 

His  companions  followed  him,  and  they  soon  rejoined 
Penellan.  The  sailor  had  said  what  was  true.  An  elevated 
point  of  land  jutted  out  like  a  promontory,  and  curving 
towards  the  coast,  formed  a  little  inlet  of  a  mile  in  width  at 
most.  Some  moving  ice-blocks,  broken  by  this  point,  floated 
in  the  midst,  and  the  sea,  sheltered  from  the  colder  winds, 
was  not  yet  entirely  frozen  over. 

This  was  an  excellent  spot  for  wintering,  and  it  only  re- 
mained to  get  the  ship  thither.  Jean  Cornbutte  remarked 
that  the  neighboring  ice-field  was  very  thick,  and  it  seemed 
very  difficult  to  cut  a  canal  to  bring  the  brig  to  its  destina- 
tion. Some  other  creek,  then,  must  be  found ;  it  was  in  vain 
that  he  explored  northward.  The  coast  remained  steep  and 
abrupt  for  a  long  distance,  and  beyond  the  point  it  was 
directly  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  the  east  wind.  The  cir- 
cumstance disconcerted  the  captain  all  the  more  because  An- 
dre Vasling  used  strong  arguments  to  show  how  bad  the 
situation  was.  Penellan,  in  his  dilemma,  found  it  difficult 
to  convince  himself  that  all  was  for  the  best. 

But  one  chance  remained — to  seek  a  shelter  on  the  south- 
ern side  of  the  coast.  This  was  to  return  on  their  path,  but 
hesitation  was  useless.  The  little  band  returned  rapidly  in 
the  direction  of  the  ship,  as  their  provisions  had  begun  to 
run  short.  Jean  Cornbutte  searched  for  some  practicable 
passage,  or  at  least  some  fissure  by  which  a  canal  might  be 
cut  across  the  ice-fields,  all  along  the  route,  but  in  vain. 

Towards  evening  the  sailors  came  to  the  same  place  where 
they  had  encamped  over  night.  There  had  been  no  snow 
during  the  day,  and  they  could  recognize  the  imprint  of  their 


THE    QUAKING    OF    THE   ICE  75 

bodies  on  the  ice.     They  again  disposed  themselves  to  sleep 
with  their  furs. 

Penellan,  much  disturbed  by  the  bad  success  of  the  ex- 
pedition, was  sleeping  restlessly,  when,  at  a  waking  moment, 
his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  dull  rumbling.  He  listened 
attentively,  and  the  rumbling  seemed  so  strange  that  he 
nudged  Jean  Cornbutte  with  his  elbow. 

"What  is  that?  "  said  the  latter,  whose  mind,  according 
to  a  sailor's  habit,  was  awake  as  soon  as  his  body. 

"  Listen,  captain." 

The  noise  increased,  with  perceptible  violence. 

"  It  cannot  be  thunder,  in  so  high  a  latitude,"  said  Corn- 
butte, rising. 

"  I  think  we  have  come  across  some  white  bears,"  replied 
Penellan. 

"  The  devil !     We  have  not  seen  any  yet." 

**  Sooner  or  later,  we  must  have  expected  a  visit  from 
them.     Let  us  give  them  a  good  reception." 

Penellan,  armed  with  a  gun,  lightly  crossed  the  ledge 
which  sheltered  them.  The  darkness  was  very  dense;  he 
could  discover  nothing;  but  a  new  incident  soon  showed  him 
that  the  cause  of  the  noise  did  not  proceed  from  around 
them. 

Jean  Cornbutte  rejoined  him,  and  they  observed  with  ter- 
ror that  this  rumbling,  which  awakened  their  companions, 
came  from  beneath  them. 

A  new  kind  of  peril  menaced  them.  To  the  noise,  which 
resembled  peals  of  thunder,  was  added  a  distinct  undulating 
motion  of  the  ice-field.  Several  of  the  party  lost  their  bal- 
ance and  fell. 

"  Attention !  "  cried  Penellan. 

"  Yes !  "  someone  responded. 

"  Turquiette !  Gradlin !  where  are  you?  " 

"  Here  I  am ! "  responded  Turquiette,  shaking  off  the 
snow  with  which  he  was  covered. 

"  This  way,  Vasling,"  cried  Cornbutte  to  the  mate. 
"And  Gradlin?" 

"  Present,  captain." 
But  we  are  lost !  "  shouted  Gradlin,  in  fright. 
No!  "  said  Penellan.     "  Perhaps  we  are  saved!  " 

Hardly  had  lie  uttered  these  words  when  a  frightful  crack- 
ing noise  was  heard.     The  ke-h^"ld  broke  clear  through, 


*( 


ye  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

and  the  sailors  were  forced  to  cling  to  the  block  which  was 
quivering  just  by  them.  Despite  the  helmsman's  words, 
they  found  themselves  in  a  most  perilous  position,  for  an  ice- 
quake  had  occurred.  The  ice  masses  had  just  "  weighed 
anchor,"  as  the  sailors  say.  The  movement  lasted  nearly 
two  minutes,  and  it  was  to  be  feared  that  the  crevice  would 
yawn  at  the  very  feet  of  the  unhappy  sailors.  They  anx- 
iously awaited  daylight  in  the  midst  of  continuous  shocks, 
for  they  could  not,  without  risk  of  death,  move  a  step,  and 
had  to  remain  stretched  out  at  full  length  to  avoid  being 
engulfed. 

As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  a  very  different  aspect  pre- 
sented itself  to  their  eyes.  The  vast  plain,  a  compact  mass 
the  evening  before,  was  now  separated  in  a  thousand  places, 
and  the  waves,  raised  by  some  submarine  commotion,  had 
broken  the  thick  layer  which  sheltered  them. 

The  thought  of  his  ship  occurred  to  Cornbutte's  mind. 

"  My  poor  brig!  "  he  cried.     "  It  must  have  perished!  " 

The  deepest  despair  began  to  overcast  the  faces  of  his 
companions.  The  loss  of  the  ship  inevitably  preceded  their 
own  deaths. 

"  Courage,  friends,"  said  Penellan.  "  Reflect  that  this 
night's  disaster  has  opened  us  a  path  across  the  ice,  which 
will  enable  us  to  bring  our  ship  to  the  bay  for  wintering! 
and,  stop !  I  am  not  mistaken.  There  is  the  Jeime-Hardie, 
a  mile  nearer  to  us!  " 

All  hurried  forward,  and  so  imprudently,  that  Turquiette 
slipped  into  a  fissure,  and  would  have  certainly  perished, 
had  not  Jean  Cornbutte  seized  him  by  his  hood.  He  got 
off  with  a  rather  cold  bath. 

The  brig  was  indeed  floating  tw^o  miles  away.  After  in- 
finite trouble,  the  little  band  reached  her.  She  was  in  good 
condition;  but  her  rudder,  which  they  had  neglected  to  lift, 
had  been  broken  by  the  ice. 


CHAPTER  VII 

SETTLING  FOR  THE  WINTER 

Penellan  was  once  more  right ;  all  was  for  the  best,  and 
this  ice-quake  had  opened  a  practicable  channel  for  the  ship 
to  the  bay.  The  sailors  had  only  to  make  skillful  use  of  the 
currents  to  conduct  her  thither. 


SETTLING   FOR   THE   WINTER  ^*j 

On  the  19th  of  September  the  brig  was  at  last  moored  in 
her  bay  for  wintering,  two  cables'  lengths  from  the  shore, 
securely  anchored  on  a  good  bottom.  The  ice  began  the 
next  day  to  form  around  her  hull;  it  soon  became  strong 
enough  to  bear  a  man's  weight,  and  they  could  establish  a 
communication  with  land. 

The  rigging,  as  is  customary  in  arctic  navigation,  re- 
mained as  it  was ;  the  sails  were  carefully  furled  on  the  yards 
and  covered  with  their  casings,  and  the  "  crow's-nest "  re- 
mained in  place,  as  much  to  enable  them  to  make  distant 
observations  as  to  attract  attention  to  the  ship. 

The  sun  now  scarcely  rose  above  the  horizon.  Since  the 
June  solstice,  the  spirals  which  it  had  described  descended 
lower  and  lower;  and  it  would  very  soon  disappear  al- 
together. 

The  crew  hastened  to  make  the  necessary  preparations. 
Penellan  supervised  the  whole.  The  ice  was  soon  thick 
around  the  ship,  and  it  was  to  be  feared  that  its  pressure 
might  become  dangerous ;  but  Penellan  waited  until,  by  rea- 
son of  the  going  and  coming  of  the  floating  ice-masses  and 
their  adherence,  it  had  reached  a  thickness  of  twenty  feet; 
he  then  had  it  cut  around  the  hull,  so  that  it  united  under  the 
ship,  the  form  of  which  it  assumed;  thus  enclosed  in  a  mould, 
the  brig  had  no  longer  to  fear  the  pressure  of  the  ice,  which 
could  make  no  movement. 

The  sailors  then  elevated  along  the  wales  to  the  height  of 
the  nettings,  a  snow  wall  five  or  six  feet  thick,  which  soon 
froze  as  hard  as  a  rock.  This  envelope  did  not  allow  the 
interior  heat  to  escape  outside.  A  canvas  tent,  covered  with 
skins  and  hermetically  closed,  was  stretched  over  the  whole 
length  of  the  deck,  and  formed  a  sort  of  walk  for  the 
sailors. 

They  also  constructed  on  the  ice  a  storehouse  of  snow,  in 
which  articles  which  embarrassed  the  ship  were  stowed  away. 
The  partitions  of  the  cabins  were  taken  down,  so  as  to  form 
a  single  vast  apartment  forward,  as  well  as  aft.  This  single 
room,  besides,  was  more  easy  to  warm,  as  the  ice  and  damp 
found  fewer  corners  in  which  to  take  refuge.  It  was  also 
less  difficult  to  ventilate  it,  by  means  of  canvas  funnels  which 
opened  without. 

Each  sailor  exerted  great  energy  in  these  preparations, 
and  about  the  25th  of  September  they  were  completed. 
Andre  Vasling  had  not  shown  himself  the  least  active  In 


78  A'   WINTER   AMID   THE    ICE 

this  task.  He  devoted  himself  with  especial  zeal  to  the 
young  girl's  comfort,  and  if  she,  absorbed  in  thoughts  of  her 
poor  Louis,  did  not  perceive  this,  Jean  Cornbutte  did  not 
fail  soon  to  remark  it  He  spoke  of  it  to  Penellan;  he 
recalled  several  incidents  which  completely  enlightened  him 
regarding  his  mate's  intentions;  Andre  Vasling  loved  Marie, 
and  reckoned  on  asking  her  uncle  for  her  hand,  as  soon  as 
it  was  proved  beyond  doubt  that  the  castaways  were  irrevoc- 
ably lost;  they  would  return  then  to  Dunkirk,  and  Andre 
Vasling  would  be  well  satisfied  to  wed  a  rich  and  pretty  girl, 
who  would  then  be  the  sole  heiress  of  Jean  Cornbutte. 

But  Andre,  in  his  impatience,  was  often  imprudent.  He 
had  several  times  declared  that  the  search  for  the  castaways 
was  useless,  when  some  new  trace  contradicted  him,  and 
enabled  Penellan  to  exult  over  him.  The  mate,  therefore, 
cordially  detested  the  helmsman,  who  returned  his  dislike 
heartily.  Penellan  only  feared  that  Andre  might  sow  seeds 
of  dissension  among  the  crew,  and  persuaded  Jean  Cornbutte 
to  answer  him  evasively  on  the  first  occasion. 

The  sky,  always  gloomy,  filled  the  soul  with  sadness.  'A 
thick  snow,  lashed  by  violent  winds,  added  to  the  horrors 
of  their  situation.  The  sun  would  soon  altogether  disap- 
pear. Had  the  clouds  not  gathered  in  masses  above  their 
heads,  they  might  have  enjoyed  the  moonlight,  which  was 
about  to  become  really  their  sun  during  the  long  polar  night ; 
but,  wnth  the  west  winds,  the  snow  did  not  cease  to  fall. 
Every  morning  it  was  necessary  to  clear  off  the  sides  of  the 
ship,  and  to  cut  a  new  stairway  in  the  ice  to  enable  them  to 
reach  the  ice-field.  Penellan  had  a  hole  cut  in  the  ice,  not 
far  from  the  ship.  Every  day  the  new  crust  which  formed 
over  its  top  was  broken,  and  the  water  which  was  drawn 
thence,  from  a  certain  depth,  was  less  cold  than  that  at  the 
surface. 

All  these  preparations  occupied  about  three  weeks.  It 
was  then  time  to  go  forward  with  the  search.  The  ship 
was  imprisoned  for  six  or  seven  months,  and  only  the  next 
thaw  could  open  a  new  route  across  the  ice.  It  was  wise, 
then,  to  profit  by  this  delay,  and  extend  their  explorations 
northward. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

PLAN  OF  THE  EXPLORATIONS 

On  the  9th  of  October,  Jean  Cornbutte  held  a  council  to 
settle  the  plan  of  his  operations,  to  which,  that  there  might 
be  union,  zeal,  and  courage  on  the  part  of  everyone,  he 
admitted  the  whole  crew.  Map  in  hand,  he  clearly  ex- 
plained their  situation. 

The  eastern  coast  of  Greenland  advances  perpendicularly 
northward.  The  discoveries  of  the  navigators  have  given 
the  exact  boundaries  of  those  parts.  In  the  extent  of  five 
hundred  leagues,  which  separates  Greenland  from  Spitz- 
bergen,  no  land  has  been  found.  An  island  (Shannon 
Island)  lay  a  hundred  miles  north  of  Gael-Hamkes  Bay, 
where  the  Jeune-Hardic  was  wintering. 

If  the  Norwegian  schooner,  as  was  most  probable,  had 
been  driven  in  this  direction,  supposing  that  she  could  not 
reach  Shannon  Island,  it  was  here  that  Louis  Cornbutte 
and  his  comrades  must  have  sought  for  a  winter  asylum. 

This  opinion  prevailed,  despite  Andre  Vasling's  opposi- 
tion; and  it  was  decided  to  direct  the  explorations  on  the 
side  towards  Shannon  Island.  If  Louis  Cornbutte  and  his 
comrades  were  still  in  existence,  it  was  not  probable  that 
they  would  be  able  to  resist  the  severities  of  the  arctic  win- 
ter. They  must  therefore  be  saved  beforehand,  or  all  hope 
would  be  lost.  Andre  Vasling  knew  all  this  better  than  any- 
one. He  therefore  resolved  to  put  every  possible  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  the  expedition. 

The  preparations  for  the  journey  were  completed  about 
the  20th  of  October.  It  remained  to  select  the  men  who 
should  compose  the  party.  The  young  girl  could  not  be 
deprived  of  the  protection  of  Jean  Cornbutte  or  of  Penellan; 
neither  of  these  could,  on  the  other  hand,  be  spared  from 
the  expedition. 

The  question,  then,  was  whether  Marie  could  bear  the 
fatigues  of  such  a  journey.  She  had  already  passed  through 
rough  experiences  without  seeming  to  suffer  from  them,  for 
she  was  a  sailor's  daughter,  used  from  infancy  to  the  fatigues 
of  the  sea,  and  even  Penellan  was  not  dismayed  to  see  her 
struggling  in  the  midst  of  this  severe  climate,  against  the 
dangers  of  the  polar  seas. 

It  was  decided,  therefore,  after  a  long  discussion,  that  she 
should  go  with  them,  and  that  a  place  should  be  reserved 

79 


8o  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

for  her,  at  need,  on  the  sledge,  on  which  a  little  wooden 
hut  was  constructed,  closed  in  hermetically.  As  for  Marie, 
she  was  delighted,  for  she  dreaded  to  be  left  alone  without 
her  two  protectors. 

The  expedition  was  thus  formed :  Marie,  Jean  Cornbutte, 
Penellan,  Andre  Vasling,  Aupic,  and  Fidele  Misonne  were 
to  go.  Alaine  Turquiette  remained  in  charge  of  the  brig, 
and  Gervique  and  Gradlin  stayed  behind  with  him.  New 
provisions  of  all  kinds  were  carried;  for  Jean  Cornbutte, 
in  order  to  carry  the  exploration  as  far  as  possible,  had 
resolved  to  establish  depots  along  the  route,  at  each  seven 
or  eight  days'  march.  When  the  sledge  was  ready  it  was 
at  once  fitted  up,  and  covered  with  a  skin  tent.  The  whole 
weighed  some  seven  hundred  pounds,  which  a  pack  of  five 
dogs  might  easily  carry  over  the  ice. 

On  the  22nd  of  October,  as  the  captain  had  foretold,  a 
sudden  change  took  place  in  the  temperature.  The  sky 
cleared,  the  stars  emitted  an  extraordinary  light,  and  the 
moon  shone  above  the  horizon,  no  longer  to  leave  the 
heavens  for  a  fortnight.  The  thermometer  descended  to 
twenty-five  degrees  below  zero.  The  departure  was  fixed 
for  the  following  day. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   HOUSE  OF   SNOW 

On  the  23rd  of  October,  at  eleven  in  the  morning,  in  a  fine 
moonlight,  the  caravan  set  out.  Jean  Cornbutte  followed 
the  coast,  and  ascended  northward.  The  steps  of  the  travel- 
ers made  no  impression  on  the  hard  ice.  Jean  was  forced  to 
guide  himself  by  points  which  he  selected  at  a  distance; 
sometimes  he  fixed  upon  a  hill  bristling  with  peaks;  some- 
times on  a  vast  iceberg  which  pressure  had  raised  above  the 
plain. 

At  the  first  halt,  after  going  fifteen  miles,  Penellan  pre- 
pared to  encamp.  The  tent  was  erected  against  an  ice-block. 
Marie  had  not  suffered  seriously  with  the  extreme  cold,  for 
luckily  the  breeze  had  subsided,  and  was  much  more  bear- 
able; but  the  young  girl  had  several  times  been  obliged  to 
descend  from  her  sledge  to  avert  numbness  from  imped- 
ing the  circulation  of  her  blood.     Otherwise,  her  little  hut, 

y.  I  Verne 


THE   HOUSE   OF   SNOW  8i 

hung  with  skins,  afforded  her  all  the  comfort  possible  under 
the  circumstances. 

When  night,  or  rather  sleeping-time,  came,  the  little  hut 
was  carried  under  the  tent,  where  it  served  as  a  bed-room 
for  Marie.  The  evening  repast  was  composed  of  fresh 
meat,  pemmican,  and  hot  tea.  Jean  Cornbutte,  to  avert 
danger  of  the  scurvy,  distributed  to  each  of  the  party  a 
few  drops  of  lemon-juice.  Then  all  slept  under  God's  pro- 
tection. 

But  the  sailors  soon  began  to  suffer  one  discomfort — that 
of  being  dazzled.  Ophthalmia  betrayed  itself  in  Aupic 
and  Misonne.  The  moon's  light,  striking  on  these  vast 
white  plains,  burnt  the  eyesight,  and  gave  the  eyes  insup- 
portable pain.  There  was  thus  produced  a  very  singlar  ef- 
fect of  refraction.  As  they  walked,  when  they  thought  they 
were  about  to  put  foot  on  a  hillock,  they  stepped  down 
lower,  which  often  occasioned  falls,  happily  so  little  serious 
that  Penellan  made  them  occasions  for  bantering.  Still,  he 
told  them  never  to  take  a  step  without  sounding  the  ground 
with  the  ferruled  staff  with  which  each  was  equipped. 

About  the  ist  of  November,  ten  days  after  they  had  set 
out,  the  caravan  had  gone  fifty  leagues  to  the  northward. 
Weariness  pressed  heavily  on  all.  Jean  Cornbutte  was  pain- 
fully dazzled  and  his  sight  sensibly  changed.  Aupic  and 
Misonne  had  to  feel  their  way :  for  their  eyes,  rimmed  with 
red,  seemed  burnt  by  the  white  reflection.  Marie  had  been 
preserved  from  this  misfortune  by  remaining  within  her  hut, 
to  which  she  confined  herself  as  much  as  possible.  Penellan, 
sustained  by  an  indomitable  courage,  resisted  all  fatigue. 
But  it  was  Andre  Vasling  who  bore  himself  best,  and  upon 
whom  the  cold  and  dazzHng  seemed  to  produce  no  effect. 
His  iron  frame  was  equal  to  every  hardship;  and  he  was 
secretly  pleased  to  see  the  most  robust  of  his  companions 
becoming  discouraged,  and  already  foresaw  the  moment 
when  they  would  be  forced  to  retreat  to  the  ship  again. 

On  the  I  St  of  November  it  became  absolutely  necessary 
to  halt  for  a  day  or  two.  As  soon  as  the  place  for  the 
encampment  had  been  selected,  they  proceeded  to  arrange 
it.  It  was  determined  to  erect  a  house  of  snow,  which 
should  be  supported  against  one  of  the  rocks  of  the  pro- 
montory. Misonne  at  once  marked  out  the  foundations, 
which  measured  fifteen  feet  long  by  five  wide.     Penellan, 


82  A   WINTER   AMID    THE   ICE 

Aupic,  and  Misonne,  by  aid  of  their  knives,  cut  out  great 
blocks  of  ice,  which  they  carried  to  the  chosen  spot  and 
set  up,  as  masons  would  have  built  stone  walls.  The  sides 
of  the  foundation  were  soon  raised  to  a  height  and  thick- 
ness of  about  live  feet;  for  the  materials  were  abundant, 
and  the  structure  was  intended  to  be  sufficiently  solid  to 
last  several  days.  The  four  walls  were  completed  in  eight 
hours;  an  opening  had  been  left  on  the  southern  side,  and 
the  canvas  of  the  tent,  placed  on  these  four  walls,  fell  over 
the  opening  and  sheltered  it.  It  only  remained  to  cover 
the  whole  with  large  blocks,  to  form  the  roof  of  this  tem- 
porary structure. 

After  three  more  hours  of  hard  work,  the  house  was 
done;  and  they  all  went  into  it,  overcome  with  weariness 
and  discouragement.  Jean  Cornbutte  suffered  so  much  that 
he  could  not  walk,  and  Andre  Vasling  so  skillfully  ag- 
gravated his  gloomy  feelings,  that  he  forced  from  him  a 
promise  not  to  pursue  his  search  farther  in  those  frightful 
solitudes.  Penellan  did  not  know  which  saint  to  invoke. 
He  thought  it  unworthy  and  craven  to  give  up  the  search 
for  reasons  which  had  little  weight,  and  tried  to  upset  them ; 
but  in  vain. 

Meanwhile,  though  it  had  been  decided  to  return,  rest 
had  become  so  necessary  that  for  three  days  no  prepara- 
tions for  departure  were  made.  On  the  4th  of  November, 
Jean  Cornbutte  began  to  bury  on  a  point  of  the  coast  the  pro- 
visions for  which  there  was  no  use.  A  stake  indicated  the 
place  of  the  deposit,  in  the  improbable  event  that  new  ex- 
plorations should  be  made  in  that  direction.  Every  day 
since  they  had  set  out  similar  deposits  had  been  made,  so 
that  they  were  assured  of  ample  sustenance  on  the  return, 
without  the  trouble  of  carrying  them  on  the  sledge. 

The  departure  was  fixed  for  ten  in  the  morning,  on  the 
5th.  The  most  profound  sadness  filled  the  little  band. 
Marie  with  difficulty  restrained  her  tears,  when  she  saw  her 
uncle  so  completely  discouraged.  So  many  useless  suffer- 
ings! so  much  labor  lost!  Penellan  himself  became  fero- 
cious in  his  ill-humor;  he  consigned  everybody  to  the  nether 
regions,  and  did  not  cease  to  wax  angry  at  the  weakness 
and  cowardice  of  his  comrades,  who  were  more  timid  and 
tired,  he  said,  than  Marie,  who  would  have  gone  to  the  end 
of  the  world  without  complaint 


THE   HOUSE   OF    SNOW  83 

Andre  Vasling  could  not  disguise  the  pleasure  which  this 
decision  gave  him.  He  showed  himself  more  attentive  than 
ever  to  the  young  girl,  to  whom  he  even  held  out  hopes  that 
a  new  search  should  be  made  when  the  winter  was  over; 
knowing  well  that  it  would  then  be  too  late ! 


CHAPTER    X 

BURIED  ALIVE 

The  evening  before  the  departure,  just  as  they  were  about 
to  take  supper,  Penellan  was  breaking  up  some  empty  casks 
for  firewood,  when  he  was  suddenly  suffocated  by  a  thick 
smoke.  At  the  same  instant  the  snow-house  was  shaken  as 
if  by  an  earthquake.  The  party  uttered  a  cry  of  terror,  and 
Penellan  hurried  outside. 

It  was  entirely  dark.  A  frightful  tempest — for  it  was 
not  a  thaw — was  raging,  whirlwinds  of  snow  careered 
around,  and  it  was  so  exceedinly  cold  that  the  helmsman 
felt  his  hands  rapidly  freezing.  He  was  obliged  to  go  in 
again,  after  rubbing  himself  violently  with  snow. 

"  It  is  a  tempest,"  said  he.  "  May  heaven  grant  that  our 
house  may  withstand  it,  for,  if  the  storm  should  destroy  it, 
we  should  be  lost !  " 

At  the  same  time  with  the  gusts  of  wind  a  noise  was 
heard  beneath  the  frozen  soil ;  icebergs,  broken  from  the 
promontory,  dashed  away  noisily,  and  fell  upon  one  another ; 
the  wind  blew  with  such  violence  that  it  seemed  sometimes 
as  if  the  whole  house  moved  from  its  foundation; 
phosphorescent  lights,  inexplicable  in  that  latitude,  flashed 
across  the  whirlwinds  of  the  snow. 

"  Marie !  Marie !  "  cried  Penellan,  seizing  the  girl's  hands. 

"  We  are  in  a  bad  case !  "  said  Misonne. 

"  I  know  not  if  we  shall  escape,"  replied  Aupic. 

"  Let  us  quit  this  snow-house !  "  said  Andre  Vasling. 

"  Impossible!  "  returned  Penellan.  "  The  cold  outside  is 
terrible;  perhaps  we  can  bear  it  by  staying  here." 

"  Give  me  the  thermometer,"  demanded  Vasling. 

Aupic  handed  it  to  him.  It  showed  ten  degrees  below 
zero  inside  the  house,  though  the  fire  was  lighted.  Vasling 
raised  the  canvas  which  covered  the  opening,  and  pushed  it 
aside  hastily;  for  he  would  have  been  lacerated  by  the  fall 


84  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

of  ice  which  the  wind  hurled  around,  and  which  fell  in  a 
perfect  hail-storm. 

"  Well,  Vasling,"  said  Penellan,  "will  you  go  out,  then? 
You  see  that  we  are  more  safe  here." 

"Yes,"  said  Jean  Cornbutte;  "and  we  must  use  every 
effort  to  strengthen  the  house  in  the  interior." 

"  But  a  still  more  terrible  danger  menaces  us,"  said 
Vasling. 

"What?  "asked  Jean. 

"  The  wind  is  breaking  the  ice  against  which  we  are 
propped,  just  as  it  has  that  of  the  promontory,  and  we  shall 
be  either  driven  out  or  buried !  " 

"  That  seems  doubtful,"  said  Penellan,  "  for  it  is  freezing 
hard  enough  to  ice  over  all  liquid  surfaces.  Let  us  see  what 
the  temperature  is." 

He  raised  the  canvas  so  as  to  pass  out  his  arm,  and  with 
difficulty  found  the  thermometer  again,  in  the  midst  of  the 
snow ;  but  he  at  last  succeeded  in  seizing  it,  and,  holding  the 
lamp  to  it,  said,  "  Thirty-two  degrees  below  zero !  It  is  the 
coldest  we  have  seen  here  yet !  " 

"  Ten  degrees  more,"  said  Vasling,  "  and  the  mercury  will 
freeze !  " 

A  mournful  silence  followed  this  remark. 

About  eight  in  the  morning  Penellan  essayed  a  second 
time  to  go  out  to  judge  of  their  situation.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  give  an  escape  to  the  smoke,  which  the  wind  had 
several  timse  repelled  into  the  hut.  The  sailor  wrapped 
his  cloak  tightly  about  him,  made  sure  of  his  hood  by  fasten- 
ing it  to  his  head  with  a  handkerchief,  and  then  raised  the 
canvas. 

The  opening  was  entirely  obstructed  by  a  resisting  snow. 
Penellan  took  his  staff,  and  succeeded  in  plunging  it  into 
the  compact  mass;  but  terror  froze  his  blood  when  he  per- 
ceived that  the  end  of  the  staff  was  not  free,  and  was  checked 
by  a  hard  body ! 

"  Cornbutte,"  said  he  to  the  captain,  who  had  come  up  to 
him,  "  we  are  buried  under  this  snow !  " 

"  What  say  you  ?  "  cried  Jean  Cornbutte. 

"  I  say  that  the  snow  is  massed  and  frozen  around  us  and 
over  us,  and  that  we  are  buried  alive !  " 

"  Let  us  make  an  effort  to  clear  the  snow  away,"  replied 
the  captain. 


BURIED   ALIVE  85 

The  two  friends  buttressed  themselves  against  the  ob- 
stacle which  obstructed  the  opening,  but  they  could  not 
move  it.  The  snow  formed  an  iceberg  more  than  five  feet 
thick,  and  had  become  literally  a  part  of  the  house.  Jean 
could  not  suppress  a  cry,  which  awoke  Misonne  and  Vasling. 
An  oath  burst  from  the  latter,  whose  features  contracted. 
At  this  moment  the  smoke,  thicker  than  ever,  poured  into 
the  house,  for  it  could  not  find  an  issue. 

"  Malediction !  "  cried  Misonne.  "  The  pipe  of  the  stove 
is  sealed  up  by  the  ice !  " 

Penellan  resumed  his  staff,  and  took  down  the  pipe,  after 
throwing  snow  on  the  embers  to  extinguish  them,  which 
produced  such  a  smoke  that  the  light  of  the  lamp  could 
scarcely  be  seen;  then  he  tried  with  his  staff  to  clear  out 
the  orifice,  but  he  only  encountered  a  rock  of  ice !  A  fright- 
ful end,  preceded  by  a  terrible  agony,  seemed  to  be  their 
doom!  The  smoke,  penetrating  the  throats  of  the  unfor- 
tunate party,  caused  an  insufferable  pain,  and  air  would  soon 
fail  them  altogether. 

Marie  here  rose,  and  her  presence,  which  inspired  Corn- 
butte  with  despair,  imparted  some  courage  to  Penellan.  He 
said  to  himself  that  it  could  not  be  that  the  poor  girl  was 
destined  to  so  horrible  a  death. 

"Ah!"  said  she,  "you  have  made  too  much  fire.  The 
room  is  full  of  smoke!  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  stammered  Penellan. 

"  It  is  evident,"  resumed  Marie,  "  for  it  is  not  cold,  and  it 
is  long  since  we  have  felt  too  much  heat." 

No  one  dared  to  tell  her  the  truth. 

"  See,  Marie,"  said  Penellan  bluntly,  "  help  us  get  break- 
fast ready.  It  is  too  cold  to  go  out.  Here  is  the  chafing- 
dish,  the  spirit,  and  the  coffee.  Come,  you  others,  a  little 
pemmican  first,  as  this  wretched  storm  forbids  us  from  hunt- 
ing." 

These  words  stirred  up  his  comrades. 

"  Let  us  first  eat,"  added  Penellan,  "  and  then  we  shall 
see  about  getting  off." 

Penellan  set  the  example  and  devoured  his  share  of  the 
breakfast.  His  comrades  imitated  him,  and  then  drank  a 
cup  of  boiling  coffee,  which  somewhat  restored  their  spirits. 
Then  Jean  Cornbutte  decided  energetically  that  they  should 
at  once  set  about  devising  means  of  safety. 


86  A   WINTER   AMID    THE   ICE 

Andre  Vasling  now  said,  "If  the  storm  is  still  raging, 
which  is  probable,  we  must  be  buried  ten  feet  under  the  ice, 
for  we  can  hear  no  noise  outside." 

Penellan  looked  at  Marie,  who  now  understood  the  truth, 
and  did  not  tremble.  The  helmsman  first  heated,  by  the 
flame  of  the  spirit,  the  iron  point  of  his  staff,  and  success- 
fully introduced  it  into  the  four  walls  of  ice,  but  he  could 
find  no  issue  in  either.  Cornbutte  then  resolved  to  cut  out 
an  opening  in  the  door  itself.  The  ice  was  so  hard  that  it 
was  difficult  for  the  knives  to  make  the  least  impression  on 
it.  The  pieces  which  were  cut  off  soon  encumbered  the 
hut.  After  working  hard  for  two  hours,  they  had  only 
hollowed  out  a  space  three  feet  deep. 

Some  more  rapid  method,  and  one  which  was  less  likely 
to  demolish  the  house,  must  be  thought  of;  for  the  farther 
they  advanced  the  more  violent  became  the  effort  to  break 
off  the  compact  ice.  It  occurred  to  Penellan  to  make  use 
of  the  chafing-dish  to  melt  the  ice  in  the  direction  they 
wanted.  It  was  a  hazardous  method,  for,  if  their  imprison- 
ment lasted  long,  the  spirit,  of  which  they  had  but  little, 
would  be  wanting  when  needed  to  prepare  the  meals. 
Nevertheless,  the  idea  was  welcomed  on  all  hands,  and  was 
put  in  execution.  They  first  cut  a  hole  three  feet  deep  by 
one  in  diameter,  to  receive  the  water  which  would  result 
from  the  melting  of  the  ice;  and  it  was  well  that  they  took 
this  precaution,  for  the  water  soon  dripped  under  the  action 
of  the  flames,  which  Penellan  moved  about  under  the  mass 
of  ice.  The  opening  widened  little  by  little,  but  this  kind 
of  work  could  not  be  continued  long,  for  the  water  covering 
their  clothes,  penetrated  to  their  bodies  here  and  there. 
Penellan  was  obliged  to  pause  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and 
to  withdraw  the  chafing-dish  in  order  to  dry  himself. 
Misonne  then  took  his  place,  and  worked  sturdily  at  the 
task. 

In  two  hours,  though  the  opening  was  five  feet  deep, 
the  points  of  the  staffs  could  not  yet  find  an  issue  through 
the  ice. 

"  It  is  not  possible,"  said  Jean  Cornbutte,  "  that  snow 
could  have  fallen  in  such  abundance.  It  must  have  been 
gathered  on  this  point  by  the  wind.  Perhaps  we  had  better 
think  of  escaping  in  some  other  direction." 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Penellan;  "but  if  it  were  only 


BURIED   ALIVE  87 

for  the  sake  of  not  discouraging  our  comrades,  we  ougHt  to 
continue  to  pierce  the  wall  where  we  have  begun.  We  must 
find  an  issue  ere  long." 

"  Will  not  the  spirit  fail  us?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  I  hope  not.  But  let  us,  if  necessary,  dispense  with 
coffee  and  hot  drinks.  Besides,  that  is  not  what  most 
alarms  me." 

"  What  is  it,  then,  Penellan?  " 

"  Our  lamp  is  going  out,  for  want  of  oil,  and  we  are  fast 
exhausting  our  provisions." 

The  time  for  rest  had  come,  and  when  Penellan  Had 
added  one  more  foot  to  the  opening,  he  lay  down  beside  his 
comrades. 

CHAPTER    XI 

A  CLOUD  OF  SMOKE 

The  next  day,  when  the  sailors  awoke,  they  were  sur- 
rounded by  complete  darkness.  The  lamp  had  gone  out. 
Jean  Cornbutte  roused  Penellan  to  ask  him  for  the  tinder- 
box,  which  was  passed  to  him.  Penellan  rose  to  light  the 
fire,  but  in  getting  up,  his  head  struck  against  the  ice  ceiling. 
He  was  horrified,  for  on  the  evening  before  he  could  still 
stand  upright.  The  chafing-dish  being  lighted  up  by  the 
dim  rays  of  the  spirit,  he  perceived  that  the  ceiling  was  a 
foot  lower  than  before. 

Penellan  resumed  work  with  desperation. 

Marie,  by  the  light  which  the  chafing-dish  cast  upon  Penel- 
lan's  face,  saw  that  despair  and  determination  were  strug- 
gling in  his  rough  features  for  the  mastery.  She  went  to 
him,  took  his  hands,  and  tenderly  pressed  them. 

"  She  cannot,  must  not  die  thus !  "  he  cried. 

He  took  his  chafing-dish,  and  once  more  attcked  the  nar- 
row opening.  He  plunged  in  his  staff,  and  felt  no  resist- 
ance. Had  he  reached  the  soft  layers  of  the  snow?  He 
drew  out  his  staff,  and  a  bright  ray  penetrated  to  the  house 
of  ice! 

"  Here,  my  friends !  "  he  shouted. 

He  pushed  back  the  snow  with  his  hands  and  feet.  With 
the  rays  of  light,  a  violent  cold  entered  the  cabin  and  seized 
upon  everything  moist,  to  freeze  it  in  an  instant.  Penellan 
enlarged  the  opening  with  his  cutlass,  and  at  last  was  able  to 


88  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

breathe  the  free  air.  He  fell  on  his  knees  to  thank  God, 
and  was  soon  joined  by  Marie  and  his  comrades. 

A  magnificent  moon  lit  up  the  sky,  but  the  cold  was  so 
extreme  that  they  could  not  bear  it.  They  re-entered  their 
retreat ;  but  Penellan  first  looked  about  him.  The  promon- 
tory was  no  longer  there,  and  the  hut  was  now  in  the  midst 
of  a  vast  plain  of  ice.  Penellan  thought  he  would  go  to  the 
sledge,  where  the  provisions  were.  The  sledge  had  disap- 
peared ! 

The  cold  forced  him  to  return.  He  said  nothing  to  his 
companions.  It  was  necessary,  before  all,  to  dry  their  cloth- 
ing, which  was  done  with  the  chafing-dish.  The  ther- 
mometer, held  for  an  instant  in  the  air,  descended  to  thirty 
degrees  below  zero. 

An  hour  after,  Vasling  and  Penellan  resolved  to  venture 
outside.  They  wrapped  themselves  up  in  their  still  wet 
garments,  and  went  out  by  the  opening,  the  sides  of  which 
had  become  as  hard  as  a  rock. 

"  We  have  been  driven  towards  the  northeast,"  said 
Vasling,  reckoning  by  the  stars. 

"  That  would  not  be  bad,"  said  Penellan,  "  if  our  sledge 
had  come  with  us." 

"Is  not  the  sledge  there?"  cried  Vasling.  "Then  we 
are  lost ! " 

"  Let  us  look  for  it,"  replied  Penellan. 

They  went  around  the  hut,  which  formed  a  block  more 
than  fifteen  feet  high.  An  immense  quantity  of  snow  had 
fallen  during  the  whole  of  the  storm,  and  the  wind  had 
massed  it  against  the  only  elevation  which  the  plain  pre- 
sented. The  entire  block  had  been  driven  by  the  wind,  in 
the  midst  of  the  broken  icebergs,  more  than  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  northeast,  and  the  prisoners  had  suffered  the 
same  fate  as  their  floating  prison.  The  sledge,  supported 
by  another  iceberg,  had  been  turned  another  way,  for  no 
trace  of  it  was  to  be  seen,  and  the  dogs  must  have  perished 
amid  the  frightful  tempest. 

Andre  Vasling  and  Penellan  felt  despair  taking  posses- 
sion of  them.  They  did  not  dare  to  return  to  their  com- 
panions. They  did  not  dare  to  announce  this  fatal  news  to 
their  comrades  in  misfortune.  They  climbed  upon  the  block 
of  ice  in  which  the  hut  was  hollowed,  and  could  perceive 
nothing  but  the  white  immensity  w5iich  encompassed  them 


A   CLOUD   OF   SMOKE  89 

on  all  sides.  Already  the  cold  was  beginning  to  stiffen  their 
limbs,  and  the  damp  of  their  garments  was  being  trans- 
formed into  icicles  which  hung  about  them. 

Just  as  Penellan  was  about  to  descend,  he  looked  towards 
Andre.  He  saw  him  suddenly  gaze  in  one  direction,  then 
shudder  and  turn  pale. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Vasling?"  he  asked. 

"  Nothing,"  replied  the  other.  "  Let  us  go  down  and 
urge  the  captain  to  leave  these  parts,  where  we  ought  never 
to  have  come,  at  once !  " 

Instead  of  obeying,  Penellan  ascended  again,  and  looked 
in  the  direction  which  had  drawn  the  mate's  attention.  A 
very  different  effect  was  produced  on  him,  for  he  uttered  a 
shout  of  joy,  and  cried,  "  Blessed  be  God !  " 

A  light  smoke  was  rising  in  the  northeast.  There  was 
no  possibility  of  deception.  It  indicated  the  presence  of 
human  beings.  Penellan's  cries  of  joy  reached  the  rest 
below,  and  all  were  able  to  convince  themselves  with  their 
eyes  that  he  was  not  mistaken. 

Without  thinking  of  their  want  of  provisions  or  the 
severity  of  the  temperature,  wrapped  in  their  hoods,  they 
were  all  soon  advancing  towards  the  spot  whence  the  smoke 
arose  in  the  northeast.  This  was  evidently  five  or  six  miles 
off,  and  it  was  very  difficult  to  take  exactly  the  right  direc- 
tion. The  smoke  now  disappeared,  and  no  elevation  served 
■as  a  guiding  mark,  for  the  ice-plain  was  one  united  level.  It 
was  important,  nevertheless,  not  to  diverge  from  a  straight 
line. 

"  Since  we  cannot  guide  ourselves  by  distant  objects," 
said  Jean  Cornbutte,  "  we  must  use  this  method.  Penellan 
will  go  ahead,  Vasling  twenty  steps  behind  him,  and  I 
twenty  steps  behind  Vasling.  I  can  then  judge  whether 
or  not  Penellan  diverges  from  the  straight  line." 

They  had  gone  on  thus  for  half  an  hour,  when  Penellan 
suddenly  stopped  and  listened.  The  party  hurried  up  to 
him.     "  Did  you  hear  nothing?  "  he  asked. 

"  Nothing!  "  replied  Misonne. 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Penellan.  "  It  seemed  to  me  I  heard 
cries  off  to  one  side  from  this  direction." 

"  Cries?  "  repHed  Marie.  "  Perhaps  we  are  near  our  des- 
tination, then." 

"  That  is  no  reason,"  said  Andre  Vasling.     "  In  these 


90  A    WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

high  latitudes  and  cold  regions  sounds  may  be  heard  to  a 
great  distance." 

"  However  that  may  be,"  replied  Jean  Cornbutte,  "  let  us 
go  forward,  or  we  shall  be  frozen." 

"  No !  "  cried  Penellan.     "  Listen !  " 

Some  feeble  sounds — quite  perceptible,  however — were 
heard.  They  seemed  to  be  cries  of  distress.  They  were 
twice  repeated.  They  seemed  like  cries  for  help.  Then 
all  became  silent  again. 

"  I  was  not  mistaken,"  said  Penellan.     "  Forward!  " 

He  began  to  run  in  the  direction  whence  the  cries  had 
proceeded.  He  went  thus  two  miles,  when,  to  his  utter 
stupefaction,  he  saw  a  man  lying  on  the  ice.  He  went  up 
to  him,  raised  him,  and  lifted  his  arms  to  heaven  in  despair. 

Andre  Vasling,  who  was  following  close  behind  with  the 
rest  of  the  sailors,  ran  up  and  cried,  "  It  is  one  of  the -cast- 
aways !     It  is  our  sailor  Courtois !  " 

"  He  is  dead !  "  replied  Penellan.     "  Frozen  to  death !  " 

Jean  Cornbutte  and  Marie  came  up  beside  the  corpse, 
which  was  already  stiffened  by  the  ice.  Despair  was  written 
on  every  face.  The  dead  man  was  one  of  the  comrades  of 
Louis  Cornbutte! 

"  Forward!  "  cried  Penellan. 

They  went  on  for  half  an  hour  in  perfect  silence,  and 
perceived  an  elevation  which  seemed  to  be  land. 

"  It  is  Shannon  Island,"  said  Jean  Cornbutte. 

A  mile  farther  on  they  saw  smoke  escaping  from  a  snow- 
hut,  closed  by  a  wooden  door.  They  shouted.  Two  men 
rushed  out  of  the  hut,  and  Penellan  recognized  one  of  them 
as  Pierre  Nouquet.     "  Pierre !  "  he  cried. 

Pierre  stood  still  as  if  stunned,  and  unconscious  of  what 
was  going  on  around  him.  Andre  Vasling  looked  at  Pierre 
Nouquet's  companion  with  anxiety  mingled  with  a  cruel  joy, 
for  it  was  not  Louis  Cornbutte. 

"  Pierre !  it  is  I "  cried  Penellan.  "  We  are  your 
friends!  " 

Pierre  Nouquet  recovered  his  senses,  and  fell  into  his  old 
comrade's  arms. 

"  And  my  son — and  Louis !  "  cried  Jean  Cornbutte,  in  an 
accent  of  the  most  profound  despair. 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE  RETURN  TO  THE  SHIP 

At  this  moment  a  man,  almost  dead,  dragged  himself  out 
of  the  hut  and  along  the  ice.     It  was  Louis  Cornbutte. 

"My  son!" 

"My  beloved!" 

These  two  cries  were  uttered  at  the  same  time,  and  Louis 
Cornbutte  fell  fainting  into  the  arms  of  his  father  and 
Marie,  who  drew  him  towards  the  hut,  where  their  tender 
care  soon  revived  him. 

"  My  father!  Marie!  "  cried  Louis;  "  I  shall  not  die  with- 
out having  seen  you !  " 

"  You  will  not  die ! "  replied  Penellan,  "  for  all  your 
friends  are  near  you." 

Andre  Vasling  must  have  hated  Louis  Cornbutte  bitterly 
not  to  extend  his  hand  to  him,  but  he  did  not. 

Pierre  Nouquet  was  wild  with  joy.  He  embraced  every- 
body; then  he  threw  some  wood  into  the  stove,  and  soon  a 
comfortable  temperature  was  felt  in  the  cabin. 

There  were  two  men  there  whom  neither  Jean  Cornbutte 
nor  Penellan  recognized. 

They  w^ere  Jocki  and  Herming,  the  only  two  sailors  of 
the  crew^  of  the  Norwegian  schooner  who  were  left. 

"  My  friends,  we  are  saved !  "  said  Louis.  "  My  father ! 
Marie!     You  have  exposed  yourselves  to  so  many  perils!  " 

"  We  do  not  regret  it,  my  Louis,"  replied  the  father. 
"  Your  brig,  the  Jeiinc-Hardic,  is  securely  anchored  in  the 
ice  sixty  leagues  from  here.  We  will  rejoin  her  all  to- 
gether." 

"  When  Courtois  comes  back  he'll  be  mightily  pleased." 
said  Pierre  Nouquet. 

A  mournful  silence  followed  this,  and  Penellan  apprised 
Pierre  and  Louis  of  their  comrade's  death  by  cold. 

"  My  friends,"  said  Penellan,  "  we  will  wait  here  until 
the  cold  decreases.     Have  you  provisions  and  wood?" 

"  Yes ;  and  we  will  burn  what  is  left  of  the  Froocni." 

The  Frooern  had  indeed  been  driven  to  a  place  forty 
miles  from  where  Louis  Cornbutte  had  taken  up  his  win- 
ter quarters.  There  she  was  broken  up  by  the  icebergs 
floated  by  the  thaw,  and  the  castaways  were  carried,  with  a 
part  of  the  debris  of  their  cabin,  on  the  southern  shores  of 
Shannon  Island. 

91 


92  A   -WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

They  were  then  five  in  number — Louis  Cornbutte,  Cour- 
tois,  Pierre  Nouquet,  Jocki,  and  Herming.  As  for  the  rest 
of  the  Norwegian  crew,  they  had  been  submerged  with  the 
long-boat  at  the  moment  of  the  wreck. 

When  Louis  Cornbutte,  shut  in  among  the  ice,  realized 
what  must  happen,  he  took  every  precaution  for  passing 
the  winter.  He  was  an  energetic  man,  very  active  and 
courageous;  but,  despite  his  firmness,  he  had  been  subdued 
by  this  horrible  climate,  and  when  his  father  found  him  he 
had  given  up  all  hope  of  life.  He  had  not  only  had  to 
contend  with  the  elements,  but  with  the  ugly  temper  of  the 
two  Norwegian  sailors,  who  owed  him  their  existence. 
They  were  like  savages,  almost  inaccessible  to  the  most 
natural  emotions.  When  Louis  had  the  opportunity  to 
talk  to  Penellan,  he  advised  him  to  watch  them  carefully. 
In  return,  Penellan  told  him  of  Andre  Vasling's  conduct. 
Louis  could  not  believe  it,  but  Penellan  convinced  him  that 
after  his  disappearance  Vasling  had  always  acted  so  as  to 
secure  Marie's  hand. 

The  whole  day  was  employed  in  rest  and  the  pleasures 
of  reunion.  Misonne  and  Pierre  Nouquet  killed  some  sea- 
birds  near  the  hut,  whence  it  was  not  prudent  to  stray  far. 
These  fresh  provisions  and  the  replenished  fire  raised  the 
spirits  of  the  weakest.  Louis  Cornbutte  got  visibly  better. 
It  was  the  first  moment  of  happiness  these  brave  people 
had  experienced.  They  celebrated  it  with  enthusiasm  in 
this  wretched  hut,  six  hundred  leagues  from  the  North 
Sea,  in  a  temperature  of  thirty  degrees  below  zero! 

This  temperature  lasted  till  the  end  of  the  moon,  and  it 
was  not  until  about  the  17th  of  November,  a  week  after 
their  meeting,  that  Jean  Cornbutte  and  his  party  could 
think  of  setting  out.  They  only  had  the  light  of  the  stars 
to  guide  them;  but  the  cold  was  less  extreme,  and  even 
some  snow  fell. 

Before  quitting  this  place  a  grave  was  dug  for  poor 
Courtois.  It  was  a  sad  ceremony,  which  deeply  affected 
his  comrades.  He  was  the  first  of  them  who  would  not 
again  see  his  native  land. 

Misonne  had  constructed,  with  the  planks  of  the  cabin, 
a  sort  of  sledge  for  carrying  the  provisions,  and  the  sailors 
drew  it  by  turns.  Jean  Cornbutte  led  the  expedition  by 
the  ways  already  traversed.     Camps  were  established  with 


THE   RETURN    TO    THE    SHIP  93 

great  promptness  when  the  times  for  repose  came.  Jean 
Cornbutte  hoped  to  find  his  deposits  of  provisions  again, 
as  they  had  become  well-nigh  indispensable  by  the  addi- 
tion of  four  persons  to  the  party.  He  was  therefore  very 
careful  not  to  diverge  from  the  route  by  which  he  had  come. 

By  good  fortune  he  recovered  his  sledge,  which  had 
stranded  near  the  promontory  where  they  had  all  run  so 
many  dangers.  The  dogs,  after  eating  their  straps  to 
satisfy  their  hunger,  had  attacked  the  provisions  in  the 
sledge.  These  had  sustained  them,  and  they  served  to 
guide  the  party  to  the  sledge,  where  there  was  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  provisions  left.  The  little  band  re- 
sumed its  march  towards  the  bay.  The  dogs  were  har- 
nessed to  the  sleigh,  and  no  even  of  interest  attended 
the  return. 

It  was  observed  that  Aupic,  Andre  Vasling,  and  the 
Norwegians  kept  aloof,  and  did  not  mingle  with  the  others; 
but,  unbeknown  to  themselves,  they  were  narrowly  watched. 
This  germ  of  dissension  more  than  once  aroused  the  fears 
of  Louis  Cornbutte  and  Penellan. 

About  the  7th  of  December,  twenty  days  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  castaways,  they  perceived  the  bay  where  the 
Jeune-Hardie  was  lying.  What  was  their  astonishment  to 
see  the  brig  perched  four  yards  in  the  air  on  blocks  of  ice! 
They  hurried  forward,  much  alarmed  for  their  compan- 
ions, and  were  received  with  joyous  cries  by  Gervique, 
Turquiette,  and  Gradlin.  All  of  them  were  in  good  health, 
though  they  too  had  been  subjected  to  formidable  dangers. 

The  tempest  had  made  itself  felt  throughout  the  polar 
sea.  The  ice  had  been  broken  and  displaced,  crushed  one 
piece  against  another,  and  had  seized  the  bed  on  which  the 
ship  rested.  Though  its  specific  weight  tended  to  carry  it 
under  water,  the  ice  had  acquired  an  incalculable  force,  and 
the  brig  had  been  suddenly  raised  up  out  of  the  sea. 

The  first  moments  were  given  up  to  the  happiness  in- 
spired by  the  safe  return.  The  exploring  party  were  re- 
joiced to  find  everything  in  good  condition,  which  assured 
them  a  supportable  though  it  might  be  a  rough  winter. 
The  ship  had  not  been  shaken  by  her  sudden  elevation,  and 
was  perfectly  tight.  When  the  season  of  thawing  came, 
they  would  only  have  to  slide  her  down  an  inclined  plane, 
to  launch  her,  in  a  word,  in  the  once  more  open  sea. 


94  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

But  a  bad  piece  of  news  spread  gloom  on  the  faces  of 
Jean  Cornbutte  and  his  comrades.  During  the  terrible 
gale  the  snow  storehouse  on  the  coast  had  been  quite  de- 
molished ;  the  provisions  which  it  contained  were  scattered, 
and  it  had  not  been  possible  to  save  a  morsel  of  them. 
When  Jean  and  Louis  Cornbutte  learned  this,  they  visited 
the  hold  and  steward's  room,  to  ascertain  the  quantity  of 
provisions  which  still  remained. 

The  thaw  would  not  come  until  May,  and  the  brig  could 
not  leave  the  bay  before  that  period.  They  had  therefore 
five  winter  months  before  them  to  pass  amid  the  ice,  during 
which  fourteen  persons  were  to  be  fed.  Having  made  his 
calculations,  Jean  Cornbutte  found  that  he  would  at  most 
be  able  to  keep  them  alive  till  the  time  for  departure,  by 
putting  each  and  all  on  half  rations.  Hunting  for  game 
became  compulsory  in  order  to  procure  food  in  larger  quan- 
tity. 

For  fear  that  they  might  again  run  short  of  provisions,  it 
was  decided  to  deposit  them  no  longer  in  the  ground.  All 
of  them  were  kept  on  board,  and  beds  were  disposed  for 
the  newcomers  in  the  common  lodging.  Turquiette,  Ger- 
vique,  and  Gradlin,  during  the  absence  of  the  others,  had 
hollowed  out  a  flight  of  steps  in  the  ice,  which  enabled  them 
easily  to  reach  the  ship's  deck. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  TWO  RIVALS 

Andre  Vasling  had  been  cultivating  the  good-will  of 
the  two  Norwegian  sailors.  Aupic  also  made  one  of  their 
band,  and  held  himself  apart,  with  loud  disapproval  of  all 
the  new  measures  taken ;  but  Louis  Cornbutte,  to  whom  his 
father  had  transferred  the  command  of  the  ship,  and  who 
had  become  once  more  master  on  board,  would  listen  to  no 
objections  from  that  quarter,  and  in  spite  of  Marie's  advice 
to  act  gently,  made  it  known  that  he  intended  to  be  obeyed 
on  all  points. 

Nevertheless,  the  two  Norwegians  succeeded  two  days 
after,  in  getting  possession  of  a  box  of  salt  meat.  Louis 
ordered  them  to  return  it  to  him  on  the  spot,  but  Aupic 


THE   TWO    RIVALS  95, 

took  their  part,  and  Andre  Vasling  declared  that  the  pre- 
cautions about  food  could  not  be  any  longer  enfoiced. 

It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  show  these  men  that  these 
measures  were  for  the  common  interest,  for  they  knew  it 
well,  and  only  sought  a  pretext  to  revolt. 

Penellan  advanced  towards  the  Norwegians,  who  drew 
their  cutlasses;  but,  aided  by  Misonne  and  Turquiette,  he 
succeeded  in  snatching  the  weapons  from  their  hands,  and 
gained  possession  of  the  salt  meat.  Andre  Vasling  and 
Aupic,  seeing  that  matters  were  going  against  them,  did 
not  interfere.  Louis  Cornbutte,  however,  took  the  mate 
aside,  and  said  to  him: 

"  Andre  V^asling,  you  are  a  wretch !  I  know  your  whole 
conduct,  and  I  know  what  you  are  aiming  at,  but  as  the 
safety  of  the  whole  crew  is  confided  to  me,  if  any  man  of 
you  thinks  of  conspiring  to  destroy  them,  I  will  stab  him 
with  my  own  hand !  " 

"  Louis  Cornbutte,"  replied  the  mate,  "  it  is  allowable 
for  you  to  act  the  master;  but  remember  that  absolute 
obedience  does  not  exist  here,  and  that  here  the  strongest 
alone  makes  the  law." 

Marie  had  never  trembled  before  the  dangers  of  the 
polar  seas;  but  she  was  terrified  by  this  hatred,  of  which 
she  was  the  cause,  and  the  captain's  vigor  hardly  reassured 
her. 

Despite  this  declaration  of  war,  the  meals  were  par- 
taken of  in  common  and  at  the  same  hours.  Hunting  fur- 
nished some  ptarmigans  and  white  hares;  but  this  resource 
would  soon  fail  them,  with  the  approach  of  the  terrible 
cold  weather.  This  began  at  the  solstice,  on  the  22d  of 
December,  on  which  day  the  thermometer  fell  to  thirty- 
five  degrees  below  zero.  The  men  experienced  pain  in 
their  ears,  noses,  and  the  extremities  of  their  bodies.  They 
were  seized  with  a  mortal  torpor  combined  with  headache, 
and  their  breathing  became  more  and  more  diflicult. 

In  this  state  they  had  no  longer  any  courage  to  go  hunt- 
ing or  to  take  any  exercise.  They  remained  crouched 
around  the  stove,  which  gave  them  but  a  meager  heat;  and 
when  they  went  away  from  it,  they  perceived  that  their 
blood  suddenly  cooled. 

Jean  Cornbutte's  health  was  seriously  impaired,  and  he 
could  no  longer  quit  his  lodging.     Symptoms  of  scurvy 


96  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

manifested  themselves  in  him,  and  his  legs  were  soon 
covered  with  white  spots.  Marie  was  well,  however,  and 
occupied  herself  tending  the  sick  ones  with  the  zeal  of  a 
sister  of  charity.  The  honest  fellows  blessed  her  from  the 
bottom  of  their  hearts. 

The  1st  of  January  was  one  of  the  gloomiest  of  these 
winter  days.  The  wind  was  violent,  and  the  cold  insup- 
portable. They  could  not  go  out,  except  at  the  risk  of 
being  frozen.  The  most  courageous  were  fain  to  limit 
themselves  to  walking  on  deck,  sheltered  by  the  tent. 
Jean  Cornbutte,  Gervique,  and  Gradlin  did  not  leave  their 
beds.  The  two  Norwegians,  Aupic,  and  Andre  Vasling, 
whose  health  was  good,  cast  ferocious  looks  at  their  com- 
panions, whom  they  saw  wasting  away. 

Louis  Cornbutte  led  Penellan  on  deck,  and  asked  him 
how  much  firing  was  left. 

"  The  coal  was  exhausted  long  ago,"  replied  Penellan, 
"  and  we  are  about  to  burn  our  last  pieces  of  wood." 

"  If  we  are  not  able  to  keep  off  this  cold,  we  are  lost," 
said  Louis. 

"  There  still  remains  a  way — "  said  Penellan,  "  to 
burn  what  we  can  of  the  brig,  from  the  barricading  to  the 
water-line;  and  we  can  even,  if  need  be,  demolish  her 
entirely,  and  rebuild  a  smaller  craft." 

"  That  is  an  extreme  means,"  replied  Louis,  "  which  it 
will  be  full  time  to  employ  when  our  men  are  well.  For^" 
he  added  in  a  low  voice,  "  our  force  is  diminishing,  and 
that  of  our  enemies  seems  to  be  increasing.  That  is  ex- 
traordinary." 

"It  is  true,"  said  Penellan;  "and  unless  we  took  the 
precaution  to  watch  night  and  day,  I  know  not  what  would 
happen  to  us." 

"  Let  us  take  our  hatchets,"  returned  Louis,  "  and  make 
our  harvest  of  wood." 

Despite  the  cold,  they  mounted  on  the  forward  barri- 
cading, and  cut  off  all  the  wood  which  was  not  indispensably 
necessary  to  the  ship ;  then  they  returned  with  this  new  pro- 
vision. The  fire  was  started  afresh,  and  a  man  remained 
on  guard  to  prevent  it  from  going  out. 

Meanwhile  Louis  Cornbutte  and  his  friends  were  soon 
tired  out.  They  could  not  confide  any  detail  of  the  life  in 
common  to  their  enemies.     Charged  with  all  the  domestic 

V.  I  Verne 


THE   TWO    RIVALS  97 

cares,  their  powers  were  soon  exhausted.  The  scurvy  be- 
trayed itself  in  Jean  Cornbutte,  who  suffered  intolerable 
pain.  Gervique  and  Gradlin  showed  symptoms  of  the 
same  disease.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  lemon-juice,  with 
which  they  were  abundantly  furnished,  they  would  have 
speedily  succumbed  to  their  sufferings.  This  remedy  was 
not  spared  in  relieving  them. 

But  one  day,  the  15th  of  January,  when  Louis  Cornbutte 
was  going  down  into  the  steward's  room  to  get  some 
lemons,  he  was  stupefied  to  find  that  the  barrels  in  which 
they  were  kept  had  disappeared.  He  hurried  up  and  told 
Penellan  of  this  misfortune.  A  theft  had  been  committed, 
and  it  was  easy  to  recognize  its  authors.  Louis  Corn- 
butte then  understood  why  the  health  of  his  enemies  con- 
tinued so  good !  His  friends  were  no  longer  strong  enough 
to  take  the  lemons  away  from  them,  though  his  life  and  that 
of  his  comrades  depended  on  the  fruit;  and  he  now  sank, 
for  the  first  time,  into  a  gloomy  state  of  despair. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

DISTRESS 

On  the  20th  of  January  most  of  the  crew  had  not  the 
strength  to  leave  their  beds.  Each,  independently  of  his 
woolen  coverings,  had  a  buffalo-skin  to  protect  him  against 
the  cold ;  but  as  soon  as  he  put  his  arms  outside  the  clothes, 
he  felt  a  severe  pain  which  obliged  him  quickly  to  cover 
them  again. 

Meanwhile,  Louis  having  lit  the  stove  fire,  Penellan, 
Misonne,  and  Andre  Vasling  left  their  beds  and  crouched 
around  it.  Penellan  prepared  some  boiling  coffe,  which 
gave  them  some  strength,  as  well  as  Marie,  who  joined 
them  in  partaking  of  it. 

Louis  Cornbutte  approached  his  father's  bedside;  the 
old  man  was  almost  motionless,  and  his  limbs  were  help- 
less from  disease.  He  muttered  some  disconnected  words, 
which  carried  grief  to  his  son's  heart. 

"Louis,"  said  he,  "  I  am  dying!     I  suffer!     Save  me!  " 

Louis  took  a  decisive  resolution.  He  went  up  to  the 
mate,  and,  controlling  himself  with  difiiculty,  said :  "  Do 
you  know  where  the  lemons  are,  Vasling?" 


98  A    WINTER    AMID    THE   ICE 

"  In  the  steward's  room,  I  suppose,"  returned  the  mate, 
without  stirring. 

"  You  know  very  well  they  are  not,  as  you  have  stolen 
them!" 

"  You  are  master,  Louis  Cornbutte,  and  may  say  and  do 
anything." 

"  For  pity's  sake,  Andre  Vasling,  my  father  is  dying ! 
You  can  save  him, — answer!" 

"  I  have  nothing  to  answer,"  replied  Andre  Vasling. 

"Wretch!  "  cried  Penellan,  throwing  himself,  cutlass  in 
hand,  on  the  mate. 

"  Help,  friends !  "  shouted  Vasling,  retreating. 

Aupic  and  the  two  Norwegian  sailors  jumped  from  their 
beds  and  placed  themselves  behind  him.  Turquiette,  Penel- 
lan, and  Louis  prepared  to  defend  themselves.  Pierre 
Nouquet  and  Gradlin,  though  suffering  much,  rose  to 
second  them. 

"  You  are  still  too  strong  for  us,"  said  Vasling.  "  We 
do  not  wish  to  fight  on  an  uncertainty." 

The  sailors  were  so  weak  that  they  dared  not  attack  the 
four  rebels,  for,  had  they  failed,  they  would  have  been  lost. 
"Andre  Vasling!"  said  Louis,  in  a  gloomy  tone,  "if  my 
father  dies,  you  will  have  murdered  him;  and  I  will  kill 
you  like  a  dog!  " 

Vasling  and  his  confederates  retired  to  the  other  end  of 
the  cabin,  and  did  not  reply. 

It  was  then  necessary  to  renew  the  supply  of  wood,  and, 
in  spite  of  the  cold,  Louis  went  on  deck  and  began  to  cut 
away  a  part  of  the  barricading,  but  was  obliged  to  retreat  in 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  for  he  was  in  danger  of  falling, 
overcome  by  the  freezing  air.  As  he  passed,  he  cast  a 
glance  at  the  thermometer  left  outside,  and  saw  that  the 
mercury  was  frozen.  The  cold,  then,  exceeded  forty-two 
degrees  below  zero.  The  weather  was  dry,  and  the  wind 
blew  from  the  north. 

On  the  26th  the  wind  changed  to  the  northeast,  and  the 
thermometer  outside  stood  at  thirty-five  degrees.  Jean 
Cornbutte  was  in  agony,  and  his  son  had  searched  in  vain 
for  some  remedy  with  which  to  relieve  his  pain.  On  this 
day,  however,  throwing  himself  suddenly  on  Vasling,  he 
managed  to  snatch  a  lemon  from  him  which  he  was  about  to 
suck.     Vasling  made  no  attempt  to  recover  it.     He  seemed 


DISTRESS  99 

to  be  awaiting  an  opportunity  to  accomplish  his  wicked 
designs. 

The  lemon-juice  somewhat  relieved  old  Cornbutte,  but  it 
was  necessary  to  continue  the  remedy.  Marie  begged  Vas- 
ling  on  her  knees  to  produce  the  lemons,  but  he  did  not 
reply,  and  soon  Penellan  heard  the  wretch  say  to  his  ac- 
complices: "The  old  fellow  is  dying.  Gervique,  Gradlin, 
and  Nouquet  are  not  much  better.  The  others  are  daily 
losing  their  strength.  The  time  is  near  when  their  lives 
will  belong  to  us !  " 

It  was  then  resolved  by  Louis  Cornbutte  and  his  adhe- 
rents not  to  wait,  and  lose  the  little  strength  still  remaining 
to  them.  They  determined  to  act  the  next  night,  and  to 
kill  these  wretches,  so  as  not  to  be  killed  by  them. 

The  temperature  rose  a  little.  Louis  Cornbutte  ventured 
to  go  out  with  his  gun  in  search  of  some  game.  He  pro- 
ceeded some  three  miles  from  the  ship,  and,  deceived  by 
the  effects  of  the  mirage  and  refraction,  he  went  farther 
than  he  intended.  It  was  imprudent,  for  recent  tracks  of 
ferocious  animals  were  to  be  seen.  He  did  not  wish,  how- 
ever, to  return  without  some  fresh  meat,  and  continued  on 
his  route;  but  he  then  experienced  a  strange  feeling  which 
turned  his  head.  It  was  what  is  commonly  called  "  white 
vertigo." 

The  reflection  of  the  ice  hillocks  and  fields  affected  him 
from  head  to  foot,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  dazzling 
color  penetrated  him  and  caused  an  irresistible  nausea.  His 
eye  was  attacked.  His  sight  became  uncertain.  He  thought 
he  should  go  mad  with  the  glare.  Without  fully  under- 
standing this  terrible  effect,  he  advanced  on  his  way,  and 
soon  put  up  a  ptarmigan,  which  he  eagerly  pursued.  The 
bird  soon  fell,  and  in  order  to  reach  it  Louis  leaped  from 
an  ice-block  and  fell  heavily;  for  the  leap  was  at  least  ten 
feet,  and  the  refraction  made  him  think  it  was  only  two. 
The  vertigo  then  seized  him,  and,  without  knowing  why, 
he  began  to  call  for  help,  though  he  had  not  been  injured 
by  the  fall.  The  cold  began  to  take  him,  and  he  rose  with 
pain,  urged  by  the  sense  of  self-preservation. 

Suddenly,  without  being  able  to  account  for  it,  he  smelt 
an  odor  of  boiling  fat.  As  the  ship  was  between  him  and 
the  wind,  he  supposed  that  this  odor  proceeded  from  her, 
and  could  not  imagine  why  they  should  be  cooking  fat, 


loo  A   WINTER   AMID   THE   ICE 

this  being  a  dangerous  thing  to  do,  as  it  was  likely  to 
attract  the  white  bears. 

Louis  returned  towards  the  ship,  absorbed  in  reflections 
which  soon  inspired  his  excited  mind  with  terror.  It 
seemed  to  him  as  if  colossal  masses  were  moving  on  the 
horizon,  and  he  asked  himself  if  there  was  not  another  ice- 
quake.  Several  of  these  masses  interposed  themselves  be- 
tween him  and  the  ship,  and  appeared  to  rise  about  its  sides. 
He  stopped  to  gaze  at  them  more  attentively,  when  to  his 
horror  he  recognized  a  herd  of  gigantic  bears. 

These  animals  had  been  attracted  by  the  odor  of  grease 
which  had  surprised  Louis.  He  sheltered  himself  behind 
a  hillock,  and  counted  three,  which  were  scaling  the  blocks 
on  which  the  Jeune-Hardie  was  resting. 

A  terrible  anguish  oppressed  his  heart.  How  resist  these 
redoubtable  enemies?  Would  Andre  Vasling  and  his  con- 
federates unite  with  the  rest  on  board  in  the  common  peril? 
Could  Penellan  and  the  others,  half -starved,  benumbed 
with  cold,  resist  these  formidable  animals,  made  wild  by 
unassuaged  hunger?  Would  they  not  be  surprised  by  an 
unlooked-for  attack? 

Louis  made  these  reflections  rapidly.  The  bears  had 
crossed  the  blocks,  and  were  mounting  to  the  assault  of 
the  ship.  He  might  then  quit  the  block  which  protected 
him;  he  went  nearer,  clinging  to  the  ice,  and  could  soon 
see  the  enormous  animals  tearing  the  tent  with  their  paws, 
and  leaping  on  the  deck.  He  thought  of  firing  his  gun  to 
give  his  comrades  notice;  but  if  these  came  up  without 
arms,  they  would  inevitably  be  torn  to  pieces,  and  nothing 
showed  as  yet  that  they  were  even  aware  of  their  new 
danger. 

CHAPTER    XV 

THE   WHITE   BEARS 

After  Louis  Cornbutte's  departure,  Penellan  Had  care- 
fully shut  the  cabin  door,  which  opened  at  the  foot  of  the 
deck  steps.  He  returned  to  the  stove,  which  he  took  it 
upon  himself  to  watch,  while  his  companions  regained  their 
berths  in  search  of  a  little  warmth. 

It  was  then  six  in  the  evening,  and  Penellan  set  about 
preparing  supper.     He  went  down  into  the  steward's  room 


THE   WHITE   BEARS  loi 

for  some  salt  meat,  which  he  wished  to  soak  in  the  boiHng 
water.  When  he  returned,  he  found  Andre  Vasling  in  his 
place,  cooking  some  pieces  of  grease  in  a  basin. 

"  I  was  there  before  you,"  said  Penellan  roughly;  "why 
have  you  taken  my  place?  " 

"  For  the  same  reason  that  you  claim  it,"  returned  Vas- 
ling :  "  because  I  want  to  cook  my  supper." 

"  You  will  take  that  off  at  once,  or  we  shall  see !  " 

"  We  shall  see  nothing,"  said  Vasling ;  "  my  supper  shall 
be  cooked  in  spite  of  you." 

"  You  shall  not  eat  it,  then,"  cried  Penellan,  rushing 
upon  Vasling,  who  seized  his  cutlass,  crying,  "  Help,  Nor- 
wegians !     Help,  Aupic !  " 

These,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  sprang  to  their  feet, 
armed  with  pistols  and  daggers.     The  crisis  had  come. 

Penellan  precipitated  himself  upon  Vasling,  to  whom,  no 
doubt,  was  confided  the  task  to  fight  him  alone;  for  his 
accomplices  rushed  to  the  beds  where  lay  Misonne,  Tur- 
quiette,  and  Nouquet.  The  latter,  ill  and  defenceless,  was 
delivered  over  to  Herming's  ferocity.  The  carpenter  seized 
a  hatchet,  and,  leaving  his  berth,  hurried  up  to  encounter 
Aupic.  Turquiette  and  Jocki,  the  Norwegian,  struggled 
fiercely.  Gervique  and  Gradlin,  suffering  horribly,  were 
not  even  conscious  of  what  was  passing  around  them. 

Nouquet  soon  received  a  stab  in  the  side,  and  Herming 
turned  to  Penellan,  who  was  fighting  desperately.  Andre 
Vasling  had  seized  him  round  the  body. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  affray  the  basin  had  been  upset 
on  the  stove,  and  the  grease  running  over  the  burning  coals, 
impregnated  the  atmosphere  with  its  odor.  Marie  rose 
with  cries  of  despair,  and  hurried  to  the  bed  of  old  Jean 
Cornbutte. 

Vasling,  less  strong  than  Penellan,  soon  perceived  that 
the  latter  was  getting  the  better  of  him.  They  were  too 
close  together  to  make  use  of  their  weapons.  The  mate, 
seeing  Herming,  cried  out,  "  Help,  Herming!  " 

"  Help,  Misonne!  "  shouted  Penellan,  in  his  turn. 

But  Misonne  was  rolling  on  the  ground  with  Aupic,  who 
was  trying  to  stab  him  with  his  cutlass.  The  carpenter's 
hatchet  was  of  little  use  to  him.  for  he  could  not  wield  it, 
and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  he  parried  the 
lunges  which  Aupic  made  with  his  knife. 


•I02  A    WINTER   AMID   THE    ICE 

Meanwhile  blood  flowed  amid  the  groans  and  cries.  Tur- 
quiette,  thrown  down  by  Jocki,  a  man  of  immense  strength, 
had  received  a  wound  in  the  shoulder,  and  he  tried  in  vain 
to  clutch  a  pistol  which  hung  in  the  Norwegian's  belt.  The 
latter  held  him  as  in  a  vice,  and  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  move. 

As  Vasling  was  being  held  by  Penellan  close  against  the 
door,  Herming  rushed  up.  He  was  about  to  stab  the 
Breton's  back  with  his  cutlass,  but  the  latter  felled  him  to  the 
earth  with  a  vigorous  kick.  His  effort  to  do  this  enabled 
Vasling  to  disengage  his  right  arm;  but  the  door,  against 
which  they  pressed  with  all  their  weight,  suddenly  yielded, 
and  Vasling  fell  over. 

Of  a  sudden  a  terrible  growl  was  heard,  and  a  gigantic 
bear  appeared  on  the  steps.  Vasling  saw  him  first.  He 
was  not  four  feet  away  from  him.  At  the  same  moment 
a  shot  was  heard,  and  the  bear,  wounded  or  frightened, 
retreated.  Vasling,  who  had  succeeded  in  regaining  his 
feet,  set  out  in  pursuit  of  him,  abandoning  Penellan. 

Penellan  then  replaced  the  door,  and  looked  around  him. 
Misonne  and  Turquiette,  tightly  garrotted  by  their  antago- 
nists, had  been  thrown  into  a  corner,  and  made  vain  efforts 
to  break  loose.  Penellan  rushed  to  their  assistance,  but  was 
overturned  by  the  two  Norwegians  and  Aupic.  His  ex- 
hausted strength  did  not  permit  him  to  resist  these  three 
men,  and  at  a  heavy  blow  he  sank  unconscious.  Then,  at 
the  cries  of  the  mate,  his  accomplices  hurried  on  deck,  think- 
ing that  Louis  Cornbutte  was  to  be  encountered. 

Andre  Vasling  was  struggling  with  a  bear,  which  he  had 
already  twice  stabbed  with  his  knife.  The  animal,  beating 
the  air  with  his  heavy  paws,  was  trying  to  clutch  Vasling; 
he  retiring  little  by  little  on  the  barricading,  was  apparently 
doomed,  when  a  second  shot  was  heard.  The  bear  fell. 
Andre  Vasling  raised  his  head  and  saw  Louis  Cornbutte 
in  the  ratlines  of  the  mizzen-mast,  his  gun  in  his  hand. 
Louis  had  shot  the  bear  in  the  heart,  and  he  was  dead. 

Hate  overcame  gratitude  in  Vasling's  breast;  but  before 
satisfying  it,  he  looked  around  him.  Aupic's  head  was 
broken  by  a  paw-stroke,  and  he  lay  lifeless  on  deck.  Jocki, 
hatchet  in  hand,  was  with  difficulty  parrying  the  blows  of 
the  second  bear  which  had  just  killed  Aupic.  The  animal 
had  received  two  wounds,  and  still  struggled  desperately. 


THE    WHITE   BEARS  103 

A  third  bear  was  directing  his  way  towards  the  ship's  prow. 
Vasling  paid  no  attention  to  him,  but,  followed  by  Herming, 
went  to  the  aid  of  Jocki;  but  Jocki,  seized  by  the  beast's 
paws,  was  crushed,  and  when  the  bear  fell  under  the  shots 
of  the  other  two  men,  he  held  a  corpse  in  his  shaggy  arms. 

"  We  are  only  two,  now,"  said  Vasling,  with  gloomy  fero- 
city, "  but  if  we  yield,  it  will  not  be  without  vengeance!  " 

Herming  reloaded  his  pistol  without  replying.  Before 
all,  the  third  bear  must  be  got  rid  of.  Vasling  looked  forward, 
but  did  not  see  him.  On  raising  his  eyes,  he  perceived  him 
erect  on  the  barricading,  clinging  to  the  ratlines  and  trying 
to  reach  Louis.  Vasling  let  his  gun  fall,  which  he  had 
aimed  at  the  animal,  while  a  fierce  joy  glittered  in  his  eyes. 
**  Ah,"  he  cried  to  the  bear,  "  you  owe  me  that  vengeance !  " 

Louis  took  refuge  in  the  top  of  the  mast.  The  bear 
kept  mounting,  and  was  not  more  than  six  feet  from  Louis, 
when  he  raised  his  gun  and  pointed  it  at  the  animal's  heart. 

Vasling  raised  his  weapon  to  shoot  Louis  if  the  bear  fell. 

Louis  fired,  but  the  bear  did  not  appear  to  be  hit,  for  he 
leaped  with  a  bound  towards  the  top.  The  whole  mast 
shook. 

Vasling  uttered  a  shout  of  exultation. 

"  Herming,"  he  cried,  "  go  and  find  Marie!  Go  and  find 
my  betrothed !  " 

Herming  descended  the  cabin  stairs. 

Meanwhile  the  furious  beast  had  thrown  himself  upon 
Louis,  who  was  trying  to  shelter  himself  on  the  other  side 
of  the  mast;  but  at  the  moment  that  his  enormous  paw 
was  raised  to  break  his  head,  Louis,  seizing  one  of  the 
backstays,  let  himself  slip  down  to  the  deck,  not  without 
danger,  for  a  ball  hissed  by  his  ear  when  he  was  half-way 
down.  Vasling  had  shot  at  him,  and  missed  him.  The 
two  adversaries  now  confronted  each  other,  cutlass  in  hand. 

The  combat  was  about  to  become  decisive.  To  glut  his 
vengeance,  and  to  have  the  young  girl  witness  her  lover's 
death,  Vasling  had  deprived  himself  of  Herming's  aid.  He 
could  now  reckon  only  on  himself. 

Louis  and  Vasling  seized  each  other  by  the  collar,  and 
held  each  other  with  iron  grip.  One  of  them  must  fall. 
They  struck  each  other  violently.  Tlie  blows  were  only 
half  parried,  for  blood  soon  flowed  from  both.  Vasling 
tried  to  clasp  his  adversary  about  the  neck  with  his  arm. 


104  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

to  bring  him  to  the  ground.  Louis,  knowing  that  he  who 
fell  was  lost,  prevented  him,  and  succeeded  in  grasping  his 
two  arms ;  but  in  doing  this  he  let  fall  his  cutlass. 

Pietous  cries  now  assailed  his  ears;  it  was  Marie's  voice. 
Herming  was  trying  to  drag  her  up.  Louis  was  seized  with 
a  desperate  rage.  He  stiffened  himself  to  bend  Vasling's 
loins;  but  at  this  moment  the  combatants  felt  themselves 
seized  in  a  powerful  embrace.  The  bear,  having  descended 
from  the  mast,  had  fallen  upon  the  two  men.  Vasling  was 
pressed  against  the  animal's  body.  Louis  felt  his  claws  en- 
tering his  flesh.     The  bear  was  strangling  both  of  them. 

**  Help !  help !  Herming !  "  cried  the  mate. 

"  Help !  Penellan !  "  cried  Louis. 

Steps  were  heard  on  the  stairs.  Penellan  appeared, 
loaded  his  pistol,  and  discharged  it  in  the  bear's  ear;  he 
roared;  the  pain  made  him  relax  his  paws  for  a  moment, 
and  Louis,  exhausted,  fell  motionless  on  the  deck;  but  the 
bear,  closing  his  paws  tightly  in  a  supreme  agony,  fell, 
dragging  down  the  wretched  Vasling,  whose  body  was 
crushed  under  him, 

Penellan  hurried  to  Louis  Cornbutte's  assistance.  No 
serious  wound  endangered  his  life;  he  had  only  lost  his 
breath  for  a  moment. 

"  Marie !  "  he  said,  opening  his  eyes. 

"  Saved !  "  replied  Penellan.  "  Herming  is  lying  there 
with  a  knife- wound  in  his  stomach." 

"  And  the  bears " 

"  Dead,  Louis ;  dead,  like  our  enemies !  But  for  those 
beasts  we  should  have  been  lost.  Truly,  they  came  to  our 
succor.     Let  us  thank  Heaven !  " 

Louis  and  Penellan  descended  to  the  cabin,  and  Marie  fell 
into  their  arms. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

CONCLUSION 

Herming,  mortally  wounded,  had  been  carried  to  a  berth 
by  Misonne  and  Turquiette,  who  had  succeeded  in  getting 
free.  He  was  already  at  the  last  gasp  of  death;  and  the 
two  sailors  occupied  themselves  with  Nouquet,  whose  wound 
was  not,  happily,  a  serious  one. 


CONCLUSION  105 

But  a  greater  misfortune  had  overtaken  Louis  Cornbutte. 
His  father  no  longer  gave  any  signs  of  life.  Had  he  died 
of  anxiety  for  his  son,  delivered  over  to  his  enemies?  Had 
he  succumbed  in  presence  of  these  terrible  events?  They 
could  not  tell.  But  the  poor  old  sailor,  broken  by  disease, 
had  ceased  to  live ! 

At  this  unexpected  blow,  Louis  and  Marie  fell  into  a 
said  despair;  then  they  knelt  at  the  bedside  and  wept,  as 
they  prayed  for  Jean  Cornbutte's  soul.  Penellan,  Misonne, 
and  Turqulette  left  them  alone  in  the  cabin,  and  went  on 
deck.  The  bodies  of  the  three  bears  were  carried  forward. 
Penellan  decided  to  keep  their  skins,  which  would  be  of  no 
little  use;  but  he  did  not  think  for  a  moment  of  eating 
their  flesh.  Besides,  the  number  of  men  to  feed  was  now 
much  decreased.  The  bodies  of  Vasling,  Aupic,  and  Jockl, 
thrown  into  a  hole  dug  on  the  coast,  were  soon  rejoined  by 
that  of  Herming.  The  Norwegian  died  during  the  night, 
without  repentance  or  remorse,  foaming  at  the  mouth  with 
rage. 

Jean  Cornbutte  was  buried  on  the  coast.  He  had  left 
his  native  land  to  find  his  son,  and  had  died  in  these  ter- 
rible regions!  His  grave  was  dug  on  an  eminence,  and 
the  sailors  placed  over  it  a  simple  wooden  cross. 

From  that  day,  Louis  Cornbutte  and  his  comrades  passed 
through  many  other  trials;  but  the  lemons,  which  they 
found,  restored  them  to  health.  Gervique,  Gradlln,  and 
Nouquet  were  able  to  rise  from  their  berths  a  fortnight  after 
these  terrible  events,  and  to  take  a  little  exercise. 

Soon  hunting  for  game  became  more  easy  and  its  results 
more  abundant.  The  water-birds  returned  in  large  num- 
bers. After  the  equinox,  the  sun  remained  constantly  above 
the  horizon.  The  eight  months  of  perpetual  daylight  had 
begun.  This  continual  sunlight,  with  the  increasing  though 
still  quite  feeble  heat,  soon  began  to  act  upon  the  ice. 

Great  precautions  were  necessary  in  launching  the  ship 
from  the  lofty  layer  of  ice  which  surrounded  her.  She 
was  therefore  securely  propped  up,  and  it  seemed  best  to 
await  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice ;  but  the  lower  mass,  rest- 
ing on  a  bed  of  already  warm  water,  detached  itself  little  by 
little,  and  the  ship  gradually  descended  with  it.  Early  in 
April  she  had  reached  her  natural  level. 

In  May  the  thaw  became  very  rapid.     The  snow  which 


io6  A   WINTER   AMID    THE    ICE 

covered  the  coast  melted  on  every  hand,  and  formed  a 
thick  mud,  which  made  it  well-nigh  impossible  to  land. 
Small  heathers,  rosy  and  white,  peeped  out  timidly  above 
the  lingering  snow,  and  seemed  to  smile  at  the  little  heat 
they  received.     The  thermometer  at  last  rose  above  zero. 

Twenty  miles  off,  the  ice  masses,  entirely  separated,  floated 
towards  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Though  the  sea  was  not  quite 
free  around  the  ship,  channels  opened  by  which  Louis  Corn- 
butte  wished  to  profit. 

On  the  2 1  St  of  May,  after  a  parting  visit  to  his  father's 
grave,  Louis  at  last  set  out  from  the  bay.  The  hearts  of 
the  honest  sailors  were  filled  at  once  with  joy  and  sadness, 
for  one  does  not  leave  without  regret  a  place  where  a  friend 
has  died.  The  wind  blew  from  the  north,  and  favored 
their  departure.  The  ship  was  often  arrested  by  ice-banks, 
which  were  cut  with  saws,  icebergs  not  seldom  confronted 
her,  and  it  was  necessary  to  blow  them  up  with  powder. 
For  a  month  the  way  was  full  of  perils,  which  sometimes 
brought  the  ship  to  the  verge  of  destruction;  but  the  crew 
were  sturdy,  and  used  to  these  dangerous  exigencies. 
Penellan,  Pierre  Nouquet,  Turquiette,  Fidele  Misonne,  did 
the  work  of  ten  sailors,  and  Marie  had  smiles  of  gratitude 
for  each. 

The  Jcune-Hardie  at  last  passed  beyond  the  ice  in  the 
latitude  of  Jean-Mayen  Island.  About  the  25th  of  June  she 
met  ships  going  northward  for  seals  and  whales.  She  had 
been  nearly  a  month  emerging  from  the  Polar  Sea. 

On  the  1 6th  of  August  she  came  in  view  of  Dunkirk. 
She  had  been  signaled  by  the  look-out,  and  the  whole  popu- 
lation flocked  to  the  jetty.  The  sailors  of  the  ship  were 
soon  clasped  in  the  arms  of  their  friends.  The  old  cure 
received  Louis  Cornbutte  and  Marie  with  patriarchal  arms, 
and  of  the  two  masses  which  he  said  on  the  following  day, 
the  first  was  for  the  repose  of  Jean  Cornbutte's  soul,  and  the 
second  to  bless  these  two  lovers,  so  long  united  in  mis- 
fortune. 


THE  END 


The  Pearl  of  Lima 

OR 

Martin  Paz 


The   Pearl  of  Lima 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  "  PLAZA  MAYOR  " 

HE  sun  had  just  sunk  behind  the  snowy  peaks 
of  the  Cordilleras,  and,  although  the  beautiful 
Peruvian  sky  was  being  covered  by  the  veil  of 
night,  the  atmosphere  was  clear  and  refreshing 
in  its  balmy  coolness.  It  was  just  the  hour 
when  a  European  might  enjoy  the  climate,  and 
with  open  veranda  luxunate  in  the  grateful  breeze. 

The  stars  were  beginning  to  appear  and  the  promenaders 
betook  themselves  to  the  streets  of  Lima,  where,  protected 
merely  by  their  light  capes,  they  discussed  the  most  trivial 
topics  with  the  most  profound  gravity.  The  general  direc- 
tion of  the  throng  was  toward  the  grand  square,  the  Plaza 
Mayor,  the  forum  of  the  ancient  "  City  of  the  Kings." 

The  same  cool  atmosphere  which  tempted  the  population 
to  an  evening  stroll  had  the  effect  of  bringing  out  the  var- 
ious hawkers,  who  threaded  their  way  amidst  the  crowds 
shouting  aloud  the  praises  of  their  different  wares.  The 
women,  wearing  mantles  which  effectually  concealed  their 
faces,  glided,  as  it  were,  between  the  groups  of  smokers. 
A  few  ladies  there  were  in  evening  dress,  with  their  coiffure, 
composed  of  their  own  luxuriant  hair,  gracefully  adorned 
with  natural  flowers;  but  these  were  lounging  back  in  the 
iwide  barouches.  The  Indians  were  seen  making  their  sullen 
way  without  once  lifting  their  eyes,  and  indicating  neither 
by  gesture  nor  by  word  the  rancorous  envy  that  was  gnaw- 
ing at  their  spirit,  a  contrast  altogether  with  the  half-breeds, 
who,  repudiated  as  themselves,  protested  more  openly 
against  their  civil  wrongs. 

As  for  the  Spaniards,  those  haughty  descendants  of 
Pizarro,  they  held  their  heads  aloft  as  though  they  were 
still  entitled  to  the  homage  of  the  days  of  old,  when  their 
ancestors  had  founded  the  city  of  the  kings.  They  enter- 
tained supreme  contempt  alike  for  the  Indians  whom  they 
had  conquered,  and  for  the  half-breeds  who  had  sprung 
from  their  own  connection  with  the  people  of  the  New 
World.     Like   every   other   subjugated   race,   the   Indians 

109 


no  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

chafed  at  their  condition,  and  regarded  with  common  an- 
tipathy not  only  the  conquerors  who  had  overturned  the 
ancient  empire  of  the  Incas,  but  also  the  half-breeds,  that 
upstart  race,  as  arrogant  as  vulgar.  With  regard  to  these 
half-breeds,  it  may  be  asserted  that  they  were  Spaniards 
as  far  as  their  scorn  of  the  Lidians  could  make  them  so, 
while  they  were  thorough  Indians  in  the  detestation  in  which 
they  held  the  Spaniards.  The  two  sentiments  were  about 
equally  developed,  and  united  in  embittering  their  lives. 

It  was  a  party  of  the  young  half-breeds  that  was  now 
seen  clustering  near  the  fine  fountain  that  adorns  the  center 
of  the  Plaza  Mayor.  Each  of  them  was  wearing  a  "  pon- 
cho," which  consisted  simply  of  an  oblong  piece  of  cotton, 
with  an  aperture  in  the  middle  to  admit  the  head  of  the 
wearer,  and  nearly  all  of  them  were  arrayed  in  loose 
trousers,  gay  with  stripes  of  a  thousand  colors;  on  their 
heads  they  had  broad-brimmed  hats  made  of  straw  from 
Guayaquil.    They  gesticulated  violently  as  they  talked. 

"  You  are  right,  Andre,"  said  a  little  man  named  Milla- 
flores,  speaking  in  a  most  obsequious  tone. 

This  Millaflores  was  a  hanger-on,  a  sort  of  parasite  of 
Andre  Certa,  a  young  half-breed,  and  the  son  of  a  wealthy 
merchant  who  had  been  killed  in  one  of  the  late  insurrec- 
tions. Inheriting  an  ample  fortune,  Andre  had  sought  by  a 
lavish  prodigality  to  surround  himself  with  a  bevy  of  friends 
from  whom  he  exacted  nothing  more  than  the  most  servile 
deference. 

"  And  what  good,  I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Andre, 
raising  his  voice  higher  and  higher  as  he  spoke,  "  what  good 
ever  comes  of  these  changes  of  government,  and  these  ever- 
lasting pronunicamentos  that  are  constantly  agitating  Peru. 
As  long  as  there  is  no  equality  established,  it  matters  little 
whether  it  be  Gambarra  or  Santa  Cruz  that  rules  us." 

"  Well  said !  well  said,  indeed !  "  shrieked  little  Millaflores, 
who,  in  spite  of  the  passing  of  a  law  for  universal  equality, 
could  never  be  an  equal  to  any  man  of  spirit. 

"  Here  am  I,"  continued  Andre  Certa,  *'  the  son  of  a 
merchant,  and  how  is  it  that  I  am  not  allowed  a  carriage 
drawn  by  anything  better  than  mules !  Whose  ships  were 
they  but  mine  that  brought  prosperity  into  the  land?  And 
isn't  an  aristocracy  of  wealth  far  more  than  a  match  for 
all  the  empty  titles  of  the  grandees  of  Spain?  " 


THE  "  PLAZA  MAYOR  "  1 1 1 

"  Disgraceful !  "  chimed  in  the  voice  of  one  of  the  young 
half-breeds;  "utterly  disgraceful!  Just  look  there!  there 
goes  Don  Fernando!  see  him  how  he  drives  along  in  his 
chariot  drawn  by  horses!  Don  Fernando  d'Aguillo!  he 
can  scarcely  afford  to  buy  a  dinner  for  his  coachman,  and 
yet  look  at  the  air  with  which  he  lords  it  about  the  Plaza ! 
Look,  there's  another  of  them!  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal!" 

A  splendid  carriage  at  that  moment  turned  into  the  Plaza, 
and  proved  in  truth  to  belong  to  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal, 
Chevalier  of  Alcantara,  of  Malta,  and  of  Charles  IIL  The 
nobleman  had  come  out  only  to  relieve  the  tedium  of  the 
evening,  and  with  no  thought  of  ostentation  or  display.  As 
he  sat  with  his  head  bent  in  anxious  care,  he  paid  no  re- 
gard to  the  envious  sneers  with  which  the  groups  of  half- 
breeds  greeted  him  while  his  carriage  and  four  dashed 
through  the  crowd. 

"  I  hate  that  man,"  growled  Andre  Certa. 

"  Ah !  you  will  not  need  to  hate  him  long,"  replied  one 
of  the  young  men. 

"  Perhaps  not,"  said  Andre.  "  These  lordlings  have  seen 
nearly  the  last  of  their  luxuries,  and  have  pretty  well  ex- 
hausted all  their  jewels  and  family  plate." 

"Yes,  indeed;  no  one  knows  that  better  than  yourself, 
'familiar  as  you  are  with  old  Samuel  the  Jew." 

"True;  the  old  Jew's  ledger  shows  plenty  of  credit  and 
lots  of  debt,  and  his  strong  box  is  full  to  the  hasp  with  the 
debris  of  the  fine  fortunes  of  the  old  aristocrats  But  the 
day  isn't  far  off,  and  a  jolly  day  it  will  be,  when  these 
Spaniards  will  all  be  beggars,  like  their  own  Caesar  de 
Bazan." 

"  Capital,  Andre,"  put  in  Millaflores;  "  and  then  you  will 
mount  upon  your  own  millions,  and  double  them  besides. 
But  when  do  you  marry  old  Samuel's  daughter?  Sarah  is 
a  true  child  of  Lima,  a  Peruvian  to  the  very  tips  of  her 
fingers;  nothing  of  the  Jewess  about  her  except  her  name." 

"  Oh,  within  a  month,"  said  Andre.  "  In  another  month 
there  will  not  be  a  fortune  in  the  land  to  compete  with 
mine." 

"  But  why,"  was  the  inquiry  of  one  of  the  admiring 
group,  "  why  don't  you  marry  the  daughter  of  some 
Spaniard  who  can  boast  a  noble  lineage?" 

"  Because  I  despise  the  race  as  much  as  I  hate  it,"  replied 


112  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

Andre;  but  he  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  confess  that  his 
acquaintancesliip  had  been  ignominiously  rejected  in  every 
aristocratic  circle  to  which  he  had  endeavored  to  get  an  in- 
troduction. 

At  this  instant  Andre  was  unceremoniously  jostled  by  a 
tall  man  with  grisly  hair,  whose  thick-set  limbs  indicated 
more  than  an  ordinary  amount  of  physical  strength. 

The  man  was  an  Indian,  a  native  of  the  mountains;  he 
wore  a  shirt  of  the  coarsest  serge,  that,  opening  at  the  neck, 
■revealed  the  shaggiest  of  bosoms;  his  short  linen  trousers 
were  gaudy  with  green  stripes,  and  his  stone-colored  stock- 
ings were  fastened  at  the  knee  with  crimson  garters ;  a  pair 
of  glittering  ear-rings  hung  far  below  the  border  of  his  hat. 

After  jostling  Andre,  the  man  stood  and  stared  at  him. 

"  You  vile  Indian !  "  exclaimed  the  assaulted  half-breed,  as 
he  raised  his  hand  to  strike  him. 

His  companions  held  him  back,  and  Millaflores  cried, 
"  Andre,  Andre !  mind  what  you  are  about !  " 

"  What  does  the  wretched  slave  mean  by  daring  to  jostle 
me  ?  "  exclaimed  Andre  furiously. 

"  Never  mind,  he's  only  an  idiot;  it  is  Sambo !  " 

The  Indian  continued  steadily  staring  at  the  man  whom 
he  had  intentionally  affronted.  Andre,  beside  himself  with 
rage,  laid  his  hand  upon  the  dagger  which  he  carried  in  his 
belt,  and  was  upon  the  point  of  attacking  his  aggressor, 
when  a  shrill  cry,  like  the  note  of  the  Peruvian  linnet,  re- 
echoed above  the  tumult  of  the  crowd,  and  in  a  moment 
Sambo  had  disappeared. 

"Miserable  coward!"  ejaculated  the  furious  Andre. 

Millaflores  gently  begged  him  to  control  his  passion,  and 
leave  the  Plaza.  The  group  of  young  men  began  to  retire 
towards  the  lower  end  of  the  promenade. 

The  Plaza  Mayor  was  still  the  scene  of  bustling  anima- 
tion. Night  had  come  on,  and  gliding  about  with  their 
identity  completely  disguised  by  their  mantles,  the  women 
of  Lima  truly  deserved  their  name  of  the  "  tapadas," — the 
"  concealed."  The  noise  and  tumult  seemed  ever  to  be  in- 
creasing. The  horse-guards,  sentineled  at  the  central  gate- 
way of  the  Viceroy's  palace,  had  as  much  as  they  could  do 
to  retain  their  places  undisturbed  by  the  thronging  of  the 
busy  crowd.  Industry  of  every  sort  appeared  to  have  found 
a  general  rendezvous,  and  the  whole  place  was  well-nigh 

y.  I  Verne 


THE  "  PLAZA  MAYOR  "  113 

given  up  to  the  ex:hibition  of  articles  for  sale.  The  lower 
story  of  the  palace,  and  the  very  basement  of  the  cathedral 
had  been  converted  into  shops,  and  the  entire  locality  was 
thus  transformed  into  a  vast  bazaar  for  all  the  varied  pro- 
ducts of  the  tropics. 

Louder  and  louder  waxed  the  noise;  when  all  at  once 
the  bell  from  the  cathedral  tower  tolled  out  the  Angelus, 
and  the  tumult  w^as  completely  hushed.  The  clamor  of 
business  was  replaced  by  the  whisperings  of  prayer.  The 
ladies  paused  upon  the  promenade,  and  began  to  tell  their 
beads. 

During  the  interval  of  the  suspended  traffic,  and  while 
the  mass  of  the  people  was  still  in  the  attitude  of  devotion,  ', 
a  young  girl,  accompanied  by  an  old  duenna,  was  trying  to 
make  her  way  through  the  thickest  of  the  crowd.  Angry 
remonstrances  met  the  ears  of  both  as  their  movements  in- 
terrupted the  prayers  of  those  they  passed.  The  girl 
wanted  to  stand  and  wait,  but  the  undaunted  duenna 
dragged  her  resolutely  on.  First  some  one  w^ould  say, 
"What  are  these  daughters  of  the  devil  doing?  "  and  then 
another  would  ask,  "Who  is  this  cursed  ballet-girl?"  till 
at  last,  overwhelmed  by  confusion,  the  girl  refused  to  ad- 
vance a  step 

At  that  instant  a  muleteer  was  proceeding  to  take  lier 
by  the  shoulder  and  force  her  on  to  her  knees;  but  he  had 
scarcely  raised  his  hand  for  the  purpose,  when  he  was  seized 
by  a  strong  arm  from  behind,  and  felled  to  the  ground. 
The  incident,  though  it  was  quick  as  lightning,  caused  some 
confusion  for  a  moment. 

"  Make  your  escape,  young  lady,"  said  a  voice,  gently 
and  respectfully,  close  to  the  girl's  ear. 

Pale  with  terror  she  cast  a  glance  behind  her,  and  saw  a 
tall  young  Indian  standing  w'ith  folded  arms  and  looking 
defiantly  at  the  muleteer  before  him. 

"  Alas,  alas ! "  cried  the  duenna,  "  we  have  got  into 
trouble,"  and  hurried  the  girl  away. 

Bruised  by  his  fall  the  muleteer  rose  to  his  feet,  but  not 
deeming  it  prudent  to  demand  satisfaction  from  an  oppo- 
nent of  such  resolute  bearing  as  the  young  Indian,  he  retired 
towards  his  mules,  muttering  angry  but  useless  threats  as 
he  went. 


CHAPTER  II 

AN  INDIAN  RIVAL 

The  town  of  Lima  nestles  as  it  were  in  the  valley  of  the 
Rimac,  at  about  nine  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
From  east  to  west  Lima  is  about  two  miles  long,  but  not 
more  than  a  mile  and  a  quarter  wide  from  the  bridge  to 
the  walls.  These  walls,  which  are  about  twelve  feet  high, 
and  ten  feet  thick  at  their  base,  are  constructed  of  a  peculiar 
kind  of  bricks,  known  as  "  adobes,"  dried  in  the  sun. 

This  is  the  ancient  "  City  of  the  Kings,"  founded  in  1534 
by  Pizarro  on  the  feast  of  the  Epiphany,  It  has  never 
ceased  to  be  the  scene  of  revolution.  Formerly  it  was  the 
chief  emporium  of  America  in  the  whole  Pacific,  to  which 
it  was  opened  by  the  port  of  Callao.  The  climate  makes 
Lima  one  of  the  most  agreeable  places  of  residence  in  the 
New  World.  The  wind  never  deviates  from  one  of  two 
directions;  either  it  blows  from  the  south-west,  and  brings 
with  it  the  refreshing  influence  which  it  has  gained  in 
traversing  the  Pacific,  or  it  comes  from  the  south-east,  in- 
vigorating and  cheering  with  the  coolness  which  it  has 
gathered  from  the  snowy  summits  of  the  Cordielleras.  The 
nights,  too,  at  Lima  are  delightful  as  elsev^^here  in  the 
tropics;  the  dew  which  rises  is  a  bountiful  source  of  nutri- 
ment to  a  soil  that  is  ever  exposed  to  the  rays  of  a  cloudless 
sun. 

On  the  evening  in  question,  the  girl,  still  attended  by  her 
duenna,  arrived  from  the  great  square  at  the  bridge  of  the 
Rimac  without  further  misadventure.  Her  excitement  was 
still  intense,  and  made  her  start  at  every  sound  which 
brought  to  her  imagination  either  the  ringing  of  the  mule- 
teer's bells,  or  the  whistle  of  an  Indian. 

The  girl  was  Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Samuel  the  Jew,  and 
she  was  now  about  to  enter  the  house  of  her  father.  She 
was  dressed  in  a  dark-colored  skirt  plaited  round  the  bottom 
in  such  close  folds  as  to  oblige  her  to  take  the  very  shortest 
steps,  giving  her  that  graceful  movement  which  is  so  gen- 
erally characteristic  of  the  young  women  of  Lima.  The 
skirt  was  trimmed  with  lace  and  flowers,  and  was  partially 
concealed  by  a  silk  mantle,  the  hood  of  which  enveloped  her 
head;  stockings  of  fine  texture,  and  pretty  little  satin  slippers 
were  visible  below  her  becoming  dress;  bracelets  of  con- 
siderable value  encircled  her  wrists,  and  her  whole  appear- 

114 


AN  INDIAN  RIVAL  115 

ance  afforded  a  charming  illustration  of  what  the  Spaniards 
express  so  pointedly  by  their  term  "  donayre." 

Millaflores  had  only  declared  the  truth  when  he  had  said 
that  Sarah  had  nothing  Jewish  about  her  but  her  name; 
she  was  undeniably  a  type  of  the  sefioras  whose  beauty  has 
commanded  such  universal  homage. 

The  old  duenna  was  a  Jewess,  with  avarice  and  cupidity 
stamped  indelibly  upon  her  features ;  she  was  a  devoted  ser- 
vant to  Samuel,  who  knew  what  she  was  worth,  and  re- 
munerated her  accordingly. 

Just  at  the  moment  that  they  entered  the  suburb  of  San 
Lazaro,  a  man,  dressed  as  a  monk,  with  his  cowl  over  his 
head,  passed  them  with  a  keen  and  scrutinizing  look  of  in- 
quiry. He  was  very  tall,  and  had  one  of  those  commanding 
figures  which  seem  at  once  to  indicate  repose  and  benevo- 
lence. It  was  Farther  Joachim  di  Camarones.  As  he 
passed  the  girl  he  gave  her  a  kindly  smile  of  recognition ; 
she  glanced  hastily  at  her  companion,  and  merely  acknowl- 
edge his  greeting  by  a  gentle  movement  of  her  hand. 

"  Has  it  come  to  this?  "  said  the  old  woman,  in  a  tone  of 
annoyance,  "  isn't  it  enough  to  be  insulted  by  these  Christ- 
ian dogs,  and  here  you  must  be  bowing  and  smiling  to  one 
of  their  priests !  I  suppose  some  day  we  shall  see  you  take 
up  a  rosary,  and  go  off  to  their  fine  services  in  church." 

The  girl  colored  as  she  replied,  "  You  are  indulging  in 
strange  conjectures." 

"  Strange !  not  more  strange,  I  think,  than  your  behavior. 
What  would  my  master  say  if  he  knew  all  that  has  passed 
this  evening?  " 

"  It's  no  fault  of  mine,  I  should  suppose,"  rejoined  the 
girl,  "  if  a  brutal  muleteer  insults  me  in  the  street." 

"  I  know  very  well  what  I  mean,"  grumbled  the  old 
woman ;  "  I  wasn't  alluding  to  any  muleteer." 

"  Then,"  inquired  Sarah,  "  do  you  blame  that  young  In- 
dian for  taking  my  part  against  the  crowd?  " 

"  Ah  I  ah !  but  it  isn't  the  first  time  the  young  fellow  has 
crossed  your  path." 

Fortunately  for  her,  the  maiden's  face  was  covered  by 
her  mantilla,  otherwise  the  evening  shades  would  not  have 
been  deep  enough  to  conceal  the  girl's  flush  of  excitement 
from  the  inquisitive  eye  of  the  old  domestic 

"  But  never  mind  the  Indian  now,"  continued  the  old 


ii6  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

crone ;  "  I  will  keep  my  eye  on  that  business.  What  troubles 
me  most  now  is  that  rather  than  interrupt  those  Christians 
at  their  prayers,  you  should  acutally  stand  still  and  wait 
while  they  knelt,  and  I  really  believe  you  were  going  to 
kneel  too  Ah !  senora,  if  your  father  were  to  know  that  I 
could  allow  you  to  insult  your  faith  like  that,  he  would  not 
be  long  in  sending  me  adrift." 

The  girl  however,  heard  nothing  of  the  reproof  The 
very  mention  of  the  Indian  had  turned  her  thoughts  into  a 
sweeter  channel.  She  recalled  what  was  to  her  a  provi- 
dential interference  on  her  behalf,  and  could  not  divest  her- 
self of  a  belief  that  her  deliverer  was  still  not  far  behind, 
following  in  the  shade.  There  was  a  certain  fearlessness  in 
her  character  that  became  her  marvelously.  Proud  she  was 
with  the  pride  of  a  Spaniard,  and  if  she  felt  her  interest 
awakened  by  the  young  Indian,  it  was  chiefly  because  he, 
too,  was  proud,  and  had  not  sought  a  glance  of  her  eye  as 
an  acknowledgment  for  his  protection. 

In  truth,  she  was  not  far  wrong  in  her  surmise  that  the 
Indian  was  not  out  of  sight.  After  his  interference  in  her 
defence,  he  had  resolved  to  make  her  retreat  entirely  secure ; 
and  accordingly,  when  the  observers  were  dispersed,  he 
proceeded  to  follow  her  without  being  perceived. 

A  well-built  man  was  Martin  Paz,  his  figure  being  nobly 
set  off  by  the  costume  that  he  wore  as  an  Indian  of  the 
Mountains.  Below  the  wide  brim  of  his  straw  hat  clustered 
massive  locks  of  thick  black  hair  which  harmonized  per- 
fectly with  his  dark  complexion.  His  eyes  were  at  once 
brilliant  and  soft,  and  a  well-formed  nose  rose  above  lips 
so  small  as  to  be  quite  rare  in  any  of  his  race.  He  was  of 
the  lineage  of  the  courageous  Manco-Capac,  and  in  his  veins 
coursed  the  ardent  blood  that  was  capable  of  great  achieve- 
ments 

Martin  Paz  was  attired  In  a  poncho  of  many  hues ;  from 
his  girdle  was  suspended  one  of  those  Malay  daggers  which 
are  ever  formidable  in  a  practiced  hand,  and  seem  to  be 
welded  to  the  arm  that  wields  them  Had  he  been  in  North 
America,  by  the  wild  borders  of  Lake  Ontario,  he  would, 
to  a  certainty,  have  been  a  chief  of  those  wandering  tribes 
who  fought  so  heroically  against  their  English  foes. 

Martin  was  quite  aware  not  only  that  Sarah  was  the 
daughter  of  the  wealthy  Jew,  but  also,  that  she  was  be- 


*t 


((I 


AN  INDIAN  RIVAL  117 

trotfied  to  the  rich  half-breed,  Andre  Certa;  he  knew  that 
her  birth,  her  social  position,  and  her  fortune,  alike  pro- 
hibited her  from  ever  having  any  relations  with  himself; 
but  overlooking  all  impossibilities,  he  gave  free  license  to  his 
infatuation 

Plunged  in  his  own  reflections,  he  was  hastening  on  his 
way,  when  he  was  suddenly  accosted  by  two  other  Indians. 

"  Martin  Paz,"  said  one  of  them,  "  don't  you  intend  to  go 
to-night  and  meet  our  brothers  in  the  mountains  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  there,"  was  Martin's  curt  reply. 

"The  schooner  Annunciation,"  went  on  the  other,  *'has 
been  seen  off  the  heights  of  Callao.  No  doubt  she  will  land 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Rimac,  and  our  boats  should  be  there  to 
disembark  her  cargo.     Come,  you  must !  " 

"  I  know  my  own  duty,"  said  Martin. 
We  speak  to  you  here  in  Sambo's  name." 
Yes,"  said  Martin,  "  and  I  answer  you  in  my  own." 
How  shall  we  account  for  your  being  here  in  San  La- 
zaro  at  this  extraordinary  hour  of  the  night?  " 

"  I  go  where  I  please,"  was  the  only  answer. 

"  In  front  of  the  Jew's  house,  too !  " 

"  Such  of  my  brethren  as  are  offended  at  it  may  meet 
me,  and  tell  me  of  it  this  very  night  upon  the  hills." 

The  eyes  of  the  three  men  flashed,  but  no  more  was  said. 
The  two  retreated  towards  the  bank  of  the  Rimac,  and  the 
sound  of  their  footsteps  was  soon  lost  in  the  distance. 

Martin  Paz  had  come  quite  alone  to  the  residence  of  the 
Jew.  Like  all  the  houses  in  Lima  it  was  only  two  storys 
high.  The  basement  was  built  of  bricks,  and  upon  this  was 
raised  another  story  composed  of  plaited  canes,  plastered 
over  and  painted  to  match  the  walls  below.  This  is  a  con- 
trivance which  is  best  adapted  to  resist  the  convulsions  of 
the  frequent  earthquakes.  The  roof  was  flat,  and  being 
covered  with  flowers,  it  made  a  most  fragrant  and  agree- 
able resort. 

A  broad  gateway  between  two  lodges  gave  access  to  a 
courtyard  within,  but  according  to  the  custom  of  the  place, 
those  lodges  had  no  windows  opening  into  the  road. 

The  church  clock  had  struck  eleven,  and  there  was  the 
deepest  silence  all  around.  And  why  is  it  that  the  Indian 
lingers  here  before  the  walls?  Only  because  a  dim  shadow 
has  been  seen  moving  amidst  those  flowers,  of  which  night 


ii8  THE    PEARL    OF    LIMA 

only  hides  the  form,  without  depriving  them  of  their  de- 
lightful odors. 

With  an  involuntary  impulse  Martin  lifts  his  hands  in 
ardent  admiration.  The  dim  figure  starts  and  shrinks  away 
as  if  in  terror.  Martin  Paz  withdraws  his  gaze  from  the 
roof  to  find  himself  face  to  face  with  Andre  Certa. 

"  And  for  how  long  have  the  Indians  been  accustomed 
to  pass  their  nights  thus?  "  asked  Andre,  hot  with  rage. 

"  Ever  since  Indians  have  trodden  the  soil  of  their  an- 
cestors," sternly  answered  Martin  Paz,  without  moving  an 
inch.     Andre  advanced  towards  him. 

"  Wretch !  "  he  angrily  exclaimed,  "  will  you  not  leave  the 
place?" 

"  No ! "  cried  Martin  Paz,  and  in  an  instant  daggers 
flashed  in  the  right  hands  of  both.  They  were  of  equal 
height,  and  seemed  of  equal  strength.  Quickly  Andre 
raised  his  arm,  but  still  more  quickly  it  dropped;  his  poig- 
nard  had  met  that  of  his  antagonist,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground 
wounded  in  the  shoulder. 

"  Help,  help !  "  he  shouted. 

The  gate  of  the  Jew's  house  was  quickly  opened.  Some 
half-breeds  ran  out  hastily  from  an  adjacent  building;  a 
part  of  them  set  out  in  pursuit  of  the  Indian,  who  had  at 
once  made  off,  while  the  others  attended  the  wounded  man. 

"  Who  is  he?  "  asked  a  bystander.  "  If  he  is  a  sailor,  he 
had  better  be  carried  off  to  the  Hospital  of  St.  Esprit;  if  he 
is  an  Indian,  let  him  be  taken  to  St.  Anne's." 

But  at  this  point  an  old  man  approached,  and  having 
given  a  glance  at  the  wounded  Andre,  said,  "  Take  him 
into  my  house !  "  and  then  muttered  to  himself,  "  what 
strange  piece  of  business  is  this?  " 

It  was  Samuel  the  Jew,  who  had  thus  recognized  in  the 
wounded  man  the  intended  husband  of  his  daughter. 

Meanwhile  Martin  Paz,  favored  by  the  darkness  of  the 
night  and  by  his  own  fleetness,  succeeded  in  escaping  the 
hot  pursuit  of  those  who  followed  him.  He  was  flying  for 
his  life.  Could  he  only  reach  the  open  country,  he  would 
be  safe;  but  the  gates  of  the  town,  which  were  closed  every 
night  at  eleven,  would  not  be  opened  until  four. 

He  reached  the  bridge,  which  he  had  crossed  not  long 
before.  The  half-breeds,  with  some  soldiers  who  had 
joined  them,  pressed  him  closely  from  behind;  an  armed 


AN    INDIAN    RIVAL  119 

guard  made  its  appearance  right  in  front.  Martin,  unable 
either  to  advance  or  to  retreat,  bounded  over  the  parapet, 
and  leaped  into  the  rapid  stream  that  was  dashing  along 
its  rocky  bed.  The  soldiers  rushed  to  the  bank  below  the 
bridge  to  catch  the  fugitive  as  he  reached  the  shore;  but 
their  effort  was  in  vain.  Martin  Paz  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen. 

CHAPTER  III 
THE  Jew's  anger 

Once  safely  lodged  in  the  house  of  Samuel,  and  placed 
upon  a  couch  that  was  quickly  prepared  for  him,  Andre 
Certa  recovered  his  consciousness,  and  grasped  the  hand  of 
the  Jew.  The  surgeon  who  had  been  summoned  was  soon 
in  attendance,  and  pronounced  the  wound  to  be  unimpor- 
tant, the  shoulder  having  received  the  blow  in  such  a  way 
that  the  poignard  had  merely  made  a  flesh  wound ;  and  there 
was  no  doubt  that  in  a  few  da3^s  Andre  would  be  con- 
valescent. 

When  Andre  found  himself  alone  with  Samuel  he  said 
to  him,  "  I  think  you  ought  to  block  up  the  doorway  that 
leads  up  to  the  terrace  on  the  roof." 

"  Why?  "  rejoined  the  Jew.  "  What  is  there  to  be  afraid 
of?" 

"  I  don't  think,"  continued  Andre,  "  that  it  is  right  for 
Sarah  to  expose  herself  to  the  gaze  of  those  Indians.  It 
was  from  no  burglar,  it  was  simply  from  a  rival  that  I  re- 
ceived the  cut  that  might  have  caused  me  serious  injury: 
it  was  only  by  a  miracle  that  I  escaped." 

"  Ah!  by  the  holy  Bible!  "  shrieked  the  Jew,  "  you  must 
be  mistaken.  My  daughter  will  make  you  an  accomplished 
wife,  and  I  have  always  taken  care  that  she  shall  do  nothing 
that  will  damage  your  reputation." 

Andre  Certa  lifted  himself  on  to  his  elbow,  and  said  sig- 
nificantly, "  Are  you  not  rather  forgetting  that  I  am  to  pay 
for  Sarah's  hand  the  price  of  no  less  than  a  hundred  thou- 
sand piastres?  " 

"  By  no  means,"  said  the  Jew  with  a  greedy  grin,  "  and  I 
am  quite  ready  to  give  you  a  receipt  when  I  get  the  hard 
cash."  And  as  he  spoke  he  took  from  his  portfolio  a  paper, 
of  which  Andre  took  no  notice. 


120  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

"  There  will  be  no  bargain  between  us,  Master  Samuel, 
until  Sarah  becomes  my  wife;  and  that  she  won't  be,  if  there 
is  to  be  any  difficulty  about  a  rival.  You  know  my  object; 
I  want  to  be  a  match  for  those  haughty  aristocrats,  who 
now  treat  me  with  such  vile  contempt" 

"  And  that  is  in  your  reach,  Andre.  Once  married  you 
will  find  the  haughtiest  Spaniards  coming  to  your  recep- 
tions." 

"Where  has  your  daughter  been  this  evening?"  asked 
Andre. 

"  To  the  synagogue  with  old  Ammon,  her  companion." 

"  Why  do  you  make  your  daughter  attend  those  serv- 
ices? "  said  Andre.     "  What  good  can  they  be  to  her?  " 

"  I  am  a  Jew,"  replied  the  father,  "  and  Sarah  would  not 
be  my  daughter  if  she  did  not  fulfil  the  offices  of  our  re- 
ligion." 

A  villainous  rascal  was  Samuel  the  Jew.  Trading  in 
commodities  of  any  kind,  however  questionable,  he  was 
worthy  to  be  a  direct  descendant  of  the  Iscariot  who  be- 
trayed his  Master  for  thirty  silver  shekels.  He  had  settled 
in  Lima  some  ten  years  previously.  Equally  to  please  his 
taste  and  to  serve  his  interests  he  had  chosen  a  residence 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  suburb  of  San  Lazaro,  where  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  most  unscrupulous  practices.  Gradu- 
ally his  home  assumed  more  and  more  of  luxury,  till  at 
length  he  had  a  mansion  sumptuous  in  its  furniture,  a  numer- 
ous retinue  of  servants,  and  such  splendid  equipages  as  only 
belonged  to  men  of  unbounded  affluence. 

When  Samuel  first  took  up  his  abode  in  Lima  his  daugh- 
ter was  eight  years  of  age.  Already  graceful  and  captivat- 
ing in  her  manner,  she  was  the  very  idol  of  the  Jew.  Her 
beauty  increased  with  her  age,  and  attracted  universal  ad- 
miration, and  before  long  it  was  generally  understood  that 
Andre  Certa,  the  rich  half-breed,  was  desperately  smitten 
with  her;  what  would  have  appeared  inexplicable  was  that 
the  sum  of  a  hundred  thousand  piastres  should  be  the  price 
of  Sarah's  hand,  but  that  part  of  the  contract  was  a  secret. 
Besides,  it  was  a  part  of  old  Samuel's  nature  to  make  a 
profit  out  of  sentimental  emotions  just  as  though  they  were 
marketable  products.  Banker,  usurer,  broker,  and  ship- 
owner, he  had  a  faculty  for  doing  business  with  everyone 
who  came  in  his  way.    The  schooner  Annunciation,  which 


THE  JEW'S  ANGER  121 

tKat  very  night  was  seeking  to  land  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Rimac,  was  his  property. 

Eagerly  devoted  as  he  was  to  the  transactions  of  busi- 
ness, this  man,  with  the  persistence  of  his  race,  found  time 
to  fulfil  the  religious  offices  of  his  creed  with  the  most  punc- 
tilious regularity,  and  his  daughter  had  been  strictly  trained 
in  the  same  faith;  consequently,  after  Andre,  in  the  course 
of  their  conversation,  had  let  it  be  seen  how  much  the  fact 
displeased  him,  the  old  man  sat  for  a  time  pensive  and  silent. 
Andre  at  length  broke  the  silence. 

"  You  must  be  aware,"  he  said,  "  that  the  motive  under 
which  I  contemplate  marrying  your  daughter  will  compel 
her  to  become  a  Catholic." 

"  True,"  answered  Samuel  in  a  mournful  tone,  "  but,  by 
the  holy  Bible,  as  sure  as  Sarah  is  my  daughter,  Sarah  will 
be  a  Jewess  still !  " 

At  this  moment  the  door  was  opened,  and  the  steward  of 
the  household  entered. 

*'  Has  the  assassin  been  arrested?  "  asked  the  Jew. 

"  We  believe  him  dead,"  replied  the  steward. 

"  Dead !  "  exclaimed  Andre,  with  a  gesture  of  delight. 

"  So  'tis  thought;  he  found  himself  upon  the  bridge  witK 
us  pursuing  him  from  behind,  and  a  guard  of  soldiers  just 
in  front,  and  in  order  to  escape,  he  jumped  over  the  parapet 
and  flung  himself  into  the  stream." 

"  But  what  makes  you  think  that  he  did  not  reach  one  of 
the  banks?  "  asked  Samuel. 

"  Because  the  melting  of  the  snow  has  swollen  the  stream 
into  a  torrent,"  replied  the  steward.  "  Besides,  we  hurried 
to  each  side  of  the  river,  but  the  man  was  never  seen.  The 
sentinels  have  been  left  to  watch  the  banks." 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  man,  "  if  he  is  drowned,  he  has  only 
executed  just  sentence  upon  himself  But  did  you  recog- 
nize who  he  was?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  Martin  Paz,  the  Indian  of  the  mountains." 

"  You  mean  the  man  who  has  now  been  so  long  watching 
my  daughter?  " 

"  Of  that  I  know  nothing,"  said  the  servant  indifferently. 

The  Jew  then  desired  that  Ammon,  the  old  duenna, 
should  be  sent  to  him,  and  the  steward  retired. 

"Strange!"  exclaimed  the  old  man.  "These  Indians 
have  so  many  secret  conspiracies;  it  ought  to  be  knowai 


122  THE    PEARL    OF    LIMA 

how  long  this   fellow  has  been  carrying  on  his   game." 

By  this  time  the  duenna  had  entered  the  room,  and  stood 
waiting  her  master's  pleasure. 

"  Does  my  daughter  know  anything  of  what  has  occurred 
to-night  ?  "  he  inquired. 

"  I  only  know,"  was  Ammon's  reply,  "  that  when  I  was 
roused  by  the  clamor  in  the  house,  I  hurried  to  the  sefiora's 
room,  and  found  her  motionless  with  fright." 

"  Go  on,"  he  said  impatiently,  "  tell  me  all." 

"  I  pressed  her  to  tell  me  the  cause  of  her  alarm;  but  she 
could  not  be  induced  to  speak,  and  insisted  upon  going  to 
bed;  she  would  not  allow  me  to  attend  her,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  leave  her  to  herself." 

"  This  Indian,  do  you  often  meet  him?  " 

"  I  can  hardly  say  often,"  she  replied,  "  but  I  must  ac- 
knowledge that  I  know  him  very  well  by  sight  about  the 
streets  of  San  Lazaro,  and  this  very  evening  he  came  to 
the  sefiora's  assistance  in  the  Plaza  Mayor," 

"  To  her  assistance !  what  do  you  mean?  " 

After  the  duenna  had  detailed  the  incident,  the  old  Jew 
muttered  wrath  fully,  "  Is  it  true,  then,  that  Sarah  wanted  to 
kneel  down  amongst  those  hateful  Christians?  "  And  then 
raising  his  voice,  he  threatened  that  Ammon  should  quit 
his  service. 

"  Oh !  forgive  me,  master,  forgive  me,"  was  her  depre- 
cating cry. 

"Out  of  my  sight!"  shouted  Samuel  harshly,  and  the 
duenna  retreated  in  abashed  confusion. 

"  There  is  no  time  to  lose,  you  see,"  said  Andre  Certa, 
"  it  is  high  time  that  this  marriage  of  ours  should  come  off. 
But  I  want  rest  now,  and  shall  be  glad  to  be  left  alone." 

The  old  man  slowly  retired ;  but  before  going  to  his  own 
bed  he  wished  to  satisfy  himself  about  the  condition  of  his 
daughter,  and  accordingly  he  entered  her  apartment  as 
gently  as  he  could. 

Sarah  was  sleeping  very  restlessly  on  a  bed  that  was 
hung  round  with  the  richest  of  silk  draperies.  An  elaborate 
lamp  hung  from  the  decorated  boss  upon  the  ceiling,  and 
threw  a  soft  light  upon  her  face,  whilst  the  window  was 
opened  just  enough  to  admit  the  delicious  perfume  of  the 
aloes  and  magnolias  that  were  planted  outside.  With  lav- 
ish luxury  and  consummate  taste,  articles  of  precious  value 


THE  JEW'S  ANGER  123 

were  arranged  about  the  chamber,  and  it  might  have  been 
imagined  that  the  mind  of  the  sleeper  was  reveling  amidst 
their  beauties. 

Her  father  came  close  to  her  side  and  bent  down  to  watch 
her  slumber.  She  was  evidently  agitated  by  some  painful 
dream,  and  once  the  name  of  Martin  Paz  escaped  her  lips. 
The  old  man  went  to  his  room. 

At  break  of  day  Sarah  arose  in  eager  haste.  She  sum- 
moned Liberta,  an  Indian  attached  to  her  service,  and  bade 
him  saddle  a  horse  for  himself  and  a  mule  for  her. 

It  was  no  long  task  for  her  to  array  herself  in  such  a 
toilette  as  suited  her  design.  A  broad-brimmed  hat,  and 
her  loosely-flowing  tresses  of  black  hair  sheltered  her  face 
from  observation,  and  the  better  to  conceal  the  thoughts  by 
which  she  was  preoccupied,  she  placed  a  small  perfumed 
cigarette  between  her  lips. 

She  was  no  sooner  mounted  than  she  started  off  with 
her  attendant  across  the  country  in  the  direction  of  Callao. 
The  harbor  was  all  alive  with  excitement,  the  coastguards 
having  had  to  keep  watch  all  night  long  upon  the  schooner, 
whose  uncertain  tackings  indicated  a  fraudulent  design. 
At  one  moment  it  would  seem  as  though  the  vessel  was 
waiting  near  the  river's  mouth  for  some  suspicious-looking 
boats;  but  before  they  came  alongside  she  was  off  again  to 
avoid  the  long-boats  belonging  to  the  harbor.  Many  were 
the  surmises  about  her  destination.  Some  said  that  she  had 
brought  a  body  of  Columbian  troops,  and  intended  to  take 
possession  of  Callao,  and  to  avenge  the  insult  offered  to  the 
BoHvian  soldiers  who  had  been  ignominiously  expelled  from 
Peru.  Others  maintained  that  she  was  merely  a  schooner 
driving  a  contraband  trade  in  European  wool. 

To  Sarah  these  speculations  were  all  indifferent.  She 
had  only  come  to  the  port  as  a  pretext,  and  now  returned 
to  Lima,  which  she  reached  at  the  point  nearest  to  the  river. 
Following  the  banks  of  the  stream  she  went  as  far  as  the 
bridge,  whence  she  noticed  the  groups  of  soldiers  and  half- 
breeds  gathered  along  shore. 

Liberta  had  made  the  girl  acquainted  with  the  events  of 
the  night.  In  obedience  to  her  orders  he  now  inquired 
further  particulars  from  some  of  the  soldiers,  and  learnt  that 
although  Martin  Paz  was  doubtless  drowned,  his  body  had 
not  yet  been  recovered. 


124  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

Ready  to  faint,  Sarah  had  to  gather  up  all  her  strength 
of  mind  to  avoid  giving  way  to  bitter  grief.  Amongst  the 
people  who  were  wandering  up  and  down  the  bank  she 
caught  sight  of  a  wild-looking  Indian,  whom  she  immedi- 
ately recognized  as  Sambo.  Passing  close  beside  him,  she 
heard  him  mournfully  exclaim,  "Alas!  alas!  they  have 
killed  the  son  of  Sambo!     My  son  is  dead! " 

The  girl  presently  recovered  her  self-possession,  and  mak- 
ing a  sign  to  Liberta  to  follow  her,  and  not  troubling  herself 
as  to  whether  she  was  observed  or  not,  she  directed  her  way 
to  the  church  of  St.  Anne,  and  having  left  her  mule  in  Li- 
berta's  care,  she  entered  the  Catholic  house  of  prayer,  and 
after  she  had  asked  for  Father  Joachim,  she  knelt  upon  the 
flagstones  and  prayed  for  the  soul  of  Martin  Paz. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  MARQUIS  DON  VEGAt 

Excepting  Martin  Paz  there  was  scarcely  another  man 
in  all  the  world  to  whom  the  torrent  of  the  Rimac  would  not 
have  proved  a  sure  destruction.  But  his  strength  of  body 
was  amazing,  and  his  strength  of  will  resistless ;  and  he  was, 
moreover,  greatly  aided  by  that  imperturbable  sang  froid 
which  is  characteristic  of  the  free  Indians  of  the  New  World. 

Knowing  intuitively  that  the  soldiers  would  reckon  on 
capturing  him  below  the  bridge,  where  the  stream  was  too 
powerful  to  be  combated,  he  put  forth  all  his  energy,  and 
succeeded  in  stemming  the  torrent  the  other  way.  He 
found  the  resistance  less  in  the  side-currents,  and  contrived 
to  reach  the  bank,  where  he  concealed  himself  behind  a 
cluster  of  mangroves. 

But  what  would  happen  next?  Soon  the  soldiers  would 
change  their  tactics  and  explore  the  river  upwards ;  and  then 
what  would  be  his  chance  of  escape?  His  determination 
was  soon  taken;  he  would  re-enter  the  town  and  find  a 
refuge  there. 

To  elude  the  observation  of  any  of  the  residents  who 
might  be  out  late,  it  would  perhaps  have  been  best  to  take 
the  wider  streets.  But  he  could  not  resist  the  impression 
that  he  was  watched,  and  he  dared  not  hesitate.  All  at  once 
he  caught  sight  of  a  house  still  brilliantly  lighted  up;  the 


THE  MARQUIS  DON  VEGAL  125 

gateway  was  open  to  allow  the  carriages  to  pass  out,  and  the 
very  elite  of  the  Spanish  aristocracy  were  thence  returning 
to  their  own  homes. 

Without  being  seen  he  entered  the  house,  and  the  gates 
were  almost  immediately  closed  behind  him.  He  hurried 
on,  ascending  a  cedar  staircase  adorned  with  costliest  tapes- 
try, and  after  passing  through  apartments  still  brilliantly 
illuminated,  but  absolutely  empty,  he  found  a  place  of  con- 
cealment in  a  dark  chamber  beyond. 

Before  long  the  lamps  were  all  extinguished,  and  silence 
reigned  throughout  the  house.  Martin  ventured  from  his 
hiding-place  to  reconnoiter  the  situation.  He  found  that 
the  window  of  the  room  opened  on  to  a  garden  below; 
escape  seemed  to  him  to  be  quite  practicable,  and  he  was  on 
the  point  of  leaping  down  when  he  was  startled  by  a  voice 
behind  him :  "  Stop,  seiior,  you  have  forgotten  to  take  the 
diamonds  that  I  left  on  the  table." 

He  looked  back.  There  stood  a  haughty-looking  man 
pointing  to  a  jewel  case  that  lay  before  him. 

Thus  assailed,  Martin  approached  the  Spaniard,  who  was 
still  standing  without  moving  a  muscle,  and  drawing  a  dag- 
ger, which  he  pointed  towards  his  own  heart,  he  said,  with 
a  voice  trembling  with  agitation,  "  Repeat  your  words,  and 
you  find  me  dead  at  your  feet !  " 

Dumb  with  amazement,  the  Spaniard  gazed  steadily  at 
the  Indian,  and  felt  an  involuntary  sympathy  rising  up 
within  him.  He  went  to  the  window  and  shut  it  gently; 
then,  turning  to  the  Indian,  who  had  let  his  dagger  fall  to 
the  ground,  he  asked  him  who  he  was,  and  whence  he  had 
come. 

"  I  am  Martin  Paz.  I  was  escaping  the  pursuit  of  the 
soldiers.  I  had  wounded  a  half-breed  with  my  dagger.  I 
was  defending  myself.  The  man  I  struck  is  betrothed  to 
the  girl  I  love.  It  rests  with  you  to  save  me,  or  to  sur- 
render me,  as  you  think  best." 

The  Spaniard  stood  in  silent  thought.  After  a  while  he 
said,  "  To-morrow  I  am  going  to  the  baths  of  Chorillos. 
If  it  will  answer  your  purpose,  go  with  me.  For  a  time, 
at  least,  you  will  be  safe,  and  you  will  not  have  to  complain 
of  any  lack  of  hospitality  from  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal." 

Martin  Paz  bent  his  head  in  tacit  assent. 

"  But  now,"  continued  Don  Vegal,  "  you  had  better  take 


126  THE   PEARL   OF    LIMA 

a  few  hours*  rest.     No  one  in  the  world  will  suspect  your 
hiding  place." 

The  Spaniard  retired  to  his  own  apartment.  Martin  was 
deeply  touched  by  the  generosity  with  which  he  had  met, 
and,  relying  on  the  good  faith  of  the  marquis,  resigned  him- 
self to  a  peaceful  slumber. 

Next  morning,  at  daybreak,  the  marquis  gave  his  orders 
for  starting,  but  previously  arranged  to  have  an  interview 
with  Samuel  the  Jew.  First  of  all,  however,  he  went  to  the 
early  morning  mass.  The  Peruvian  aristocracy  w^ere  al- 
ways constant  in  their  attendance  at  this  service.  From  its 
earliest  foundation  Lima  had  always  been  pre-eminently 
CathoHc.  Besides  its  numerous  churches,  it  counted  at  that 
time  no  less  than  twenty-two  convents,  seventeen  monas- 
teries, and  four  pensions  for  ladies  who  had  not  actually 
taken  the  veil.  To  each  of  these  separate  establishments 
was  attached  its  own  chapel,  so  that  altogether  there  could 
not  be  less  than  a  hundred  places  of  worship,  in  which  about 
eight  hundred  secular  and  regular  priests,  and  three  hun- 
dred nuns,  besides  lay  brotherhoods  and  sisterhoods,  de- 
voted themselves  to  the  offices  of  religion. 

As  he  entered  St.  Anne's  the  eye  of  the  marquis  was  at- 
tracted by  the  kneeling  figure  of  a  girl,  who  was  weeping  as 
she  prayed.  So  great  was  her  agitation,  that  he  could  not 
repress  his  sympathy,  and  was  about  to  address  her  in  some 
words  of  kind  encouragement,  when  Father  Joachim  whis- 
pered, "  Do  not  disturb  her,  marquis,  I  pray  you !  " 

And  then  he  beckoned  to  the  girl,  who  followed  him  into 
a  dim  and  empty  chapel.  Don  Vegal  made  his  way  to  the 
altar  and  attended  mass,  but  could  not  dismiss  from  his 
memory  the  image  of  the  girl  who  had  so  strangely  arrested 
his  attention. 

Upon  his  return  home  he  found  Samuel  the  Jew  await- 
ing his  commands.  Samuel  seemed  to  have  entirely  forgot- 
ten the  incidents  of  the  past  night;  the  prospect  of  gain  had 
made  him  quite  oblivious  of  all  besides,  and  gave  a  keen  vi- 
vacity to  the  expression  of  his  face.  "  I  await  your  lord- 
ship's commands,"  he  said. 

"  I  must  have  thirty  thousand  piastres  within  an  hour." 

"  Thirty  thousand !  "  cried  the  Jew.  "  How  is  it  possi- 
ble? By  our  holy  David,  I  should  have  more  difficulty  in 
finding  them  than  you  seem  to  think." 


THE  MARQUIS  DON  VEGAL  127 

Without  taking  any  notice  of  what  the  usurer  was  saying, 
the  marquis  explained  that,  besides  his  vahiable  cases  of 
jewels,  he  had  a  piece  of  land  near  Cusco  that  he  would  sell 
at  a  price  far  below  its  real  value. 

"  Land !  "  exclaimed  Samuel.  "  Why,  it's  land  that  ruins 
us!  We  can't  get  any  labor  to  till  the  land  since  the  In- 
dians have  withdrawn  to  the  mountains.  Land!  why,  its 
produce  does  not  pay  its  expenses !  " 

"  But,  tell  me,"  said  the  marquis,  "  at  how  mucH  do  you 
value  the  diamonds  alone?  " 

The  old  man  drew  from  his  pocket  a  small  pair  of  jewel- 
er's scales,  and  proceeded  to  weigh  the  gems  with  an  air  of 
minute  precision,  at  the  same  time,  according  to  his  habit, 
keeping  up  a  running  current  of  depreciation. 

"  Diamonds !  yes,  they  are  diamonds ;  but  see  how  badly 
set !  One  might  as  well  bury  his  money  in  the  ground.  Look 
here !  what  a  stone !  no  purity  about  it.  I  can  assure  your 
lordship  that  I  shall  find  it  very  difficult  to  get  a  customer 
at  all  for  this  costly  purchase.  Perhaps  if  I  send  them  to 
the  States,  the  Northerners  will  buy  them  in  order  to  get 
rid  of  them  to  some  English  purchaser.  No  doubt  they  will 
make  a  good  profit  out  of  them,  but  then  the  loss  would  all 
fall  upon  me.  Upon  my  word,  your  lordship,  you  must 
be  satisfied  with  ten  thousand  piastres.  It  seems  a  little, 
but " 

"  I  have  already  told  you  that  ten  thousand  piastres  are  of 
no  use  to  me,"  said  the  marquis,  with  an  air  of  profound  con- 
tempt. 

"  Not  one  half-real  more.  I  could  not  afford  it,"  rejoined 
the  inflexible  Jew. 

*'  Then  take  the  caskets ;  only  let  me  have  the  sum  I  ask, 
and  give  it  me  at  once.  Thirty  thousand  I  must  have,  and 
you  shall  have  a  bond  upon  this  house  of  mine.  Substan- 
tial, is  it  not?" 

"  Ah,  your  lordship,  but  there  are  so  many  earthquakes 
here.  One  never  knows  who  may  be  alive  and  who  may 
be  dead  from  one  moment  to  another,  nor  yet  which  houses 
may  stand,  or  which  may  fall." 

And  all  the  time  the  Jew  was  talking  he  kept  stamping 
with  his  foot  upon  the  inlaid  floor,  as  if  to  test  its  real  sta- 
bility. He  paused  for  an  instant,  and  then  resumed,  "  How- 
ever, to  oblige  your  lordship,  it  shall  be  as  you  wish;  al- 


128  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

though  just  now  I  am  indisposed  to  part  with  ready  cash', 
as  I  am  marrying  my  daughter  to  the  young  squire,  Andre 
Certa.     Do  you  know  him?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  But  lose  no  time :  our  bargain  is  made. 
Take  the  caskets,  and  give  me  the  gold." 

"Would  your  lordship  wish  for  a  receipt?"  asked 
Samuel. 

The  marquis  condescended  to  give  no  reply,  and  left  the 
room. 

"  Arrogant  Spaniard ! "  muttered  the  Jew,  and  gnashed 
his  teeth  in  wrath.  "  Would  that  I  could  crush  your  pride 
as  I  can  ruin  your  estate !  By  Solomon !  'tis  clever  practice 
to  make  one's  interests  and  one's  wishes  agree  so  well." 

After  leaving  the  Jew,  the  marquis  had  gone  to  Martin 
Paz.     He  found  him  in  a  state  of  the  gloomiest  dejection. 

"  Well !  how  now  ?  "  he  said  kindly. 

"  Ah,  sefior !  the  daughter  of  that  Jew  is  the  girl  I  love." 

"  A  Jewess ! "  exclaimed  the  marquis,  in  a  tone  of  ab- 
horrence which  he  could  ill  disguise;  but  compassionating 
the  sorrow  of  the  Indian,  he  only  said,  "  Now  then,  it  is 
time  to  start;  we  will  talk  about  these  things  as  we  go 
along." 

Within  an  hour  Martin  Paz,  after  changing  his  clothes, 
left  the  town  in  company  with  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal,  who 
took  no  other  attendants. 

The  sea-baths  of  Chorillos  are  two  leagues  distant  from 
Lima.  It  is  a  parish  inhabited  by  Indians,  and  has  a  pretty 
church.  During  the  warm  season  it  is  a  favorite  resort  of 
all  the  elite  of  Lima,  for  the  public  gaming-tables,  which 
are  forbidden  in  the  city,  are  here  kept  open  throughout 
the  summer.  The  ladies  especially  show  a  remarkable  en- 
thusiasm for  this  amusement,  and  during  the  season  many 
a  wealthy  knight  has  seen  his  large  fortune  pass  away  into 
the  hands  of  his  fair  opponents. 

Just  at  that  time  Chorillos  was  almost  deserted,  and  Don 
Vegal  and  Martin  Paz,  in  their  retired  cottage  on  the  sea- 
shore, were  free  to  contemplate  in  peaceful  solitude  the  wide 
expanse  of  the  Pacific. 

The  Marquis  Don  Vegal,  a  scion  of  one  of  the  most  an- 
cient Spanish  families  in  Peru,  was  the  only  surviving  rep- 
resentative of  that  noble  lineage  of  which  he  was  so  justly 
proud.     Traces  of  the  deepest  melancholy  were  ever  visible 

V.  I  Verne 


THE  MARQUIS  DON  VEGAL  129 

on  his  countenance,  and  although,  'during  a  considerable 
portion  of  his  life,  he  had  been  engaged  in  political  affairs, 
the  perpetual  revolutions,  instigated  as  they  had  been  by 
motives  of  mere  personal  aggrandizement,  so  disgusted  him 
fwith  the  outer  world,  that  he  withdrew  from  it  altogether, 
and  passed  his  time  in  a  seclusion  from  which  only  matters 
of  the  strictest  etiquette  could  ever  induce  him  to  emerge. 

Little  by  Httle  his  fortune,  once  so  immense,  was  dwin- 
dling away;  he  could  with  difficulty  obtain  credit  for  ad- 
vances of  capital,  so  that  not  only  had  his  estates  fallen  into 
a  condition  of  great  neglect,  but  he  had  been  obliged  to 
mortgage  them  very  heavily.  The  prospect  of  ultimate  ruin 
stared  him  in  the  face,  but  in  spite  of  the  hopeless  aspect  of 
his  affairs  he  never  flinched  for  a  moment.  The  heedless- 
ness, characteristic  of  the  Spanish  race,  together  with  the 
weariness  induced  by  his  objectless  life,  combined  to  make 
him  utterly  indifferent  to  the  future.  He  had  no  domestic 
ties  to  bind  him  to  the  world;  a  beloved  wife  and  charming 
little  daughter,  the  sole  objects  of  his  affection,  had  been 
snatched  from  him  by  a  melancholy  fate;  and  he  was  con- 
tented passively  to  take  his  chance  and  await  the  chapter  of 
events. 

But  cold  and  deadened  as  he  had  deemed  his  heart  to  be, 
his  contact  with  Martin  Paz  had  done  something  to  awaken 
him  from  his  habitual  lethargy.  The  fiery  temperament 
of  the  Indian  did  something  towards  rekindling  the  smoul- 
dering ashes  of  the  Spaniard's  sensitiveness.  The  marquis 
was  worn  out  by  his  association  with  his  fellow-countrymen, 
in  whom  he  had  no  confidence;  he  was  disgusted  with  the  in- 
solent half-breeds  who  were  ever  encroaching  upon  the 
prerogatives  of  his  own  order;  and  so  he  seemed  to  turn  for 
relief  to  that  primitive  race  which  had  fought  so  valiantly 
to  defend  its  soil  against  the  soldiers  of  Pizarro. 

According  to  the  information  which  the  marquis  received, 
it  was  currently  reported  that  the  Indian  was  dead.  Worse 
than  death,  however,  it  appeared  to  Don  Vegal  that  Martin 
Paz  should  ally  himself  in  matrimony  to  a  Jewess,  and  ac- 
cordingly he  resolved  to  rescue  him  doubly  by  allowing  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  to  be  married  without  interference  to 
Andre  Certa.  He  could  not  do  otherwise  than  observe  the 
depression  which  weighed  upon  Martin,  and  he  hoped  to 
divert  him  from  his  melancholy  by  avoiding  the  topic  en- 


I30  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

tirely,  and  by  calling  his  attention  to  indifferent  matters. 

One  day,  however,  distressed  at  noticing  the  saddened 
preoccupation  of  his  guest,  he  could  not  resist  asking  him, 
"  How  is  it  that  the  innate  nobility  of  your  nature  does  not 
revolt  against  what  must  be  so  deep  a  degradation?  Re- 
member your  ancestor,  the  redoubtable  Manco-Capac;  his 
patriotism  exalted  him  to  the  highest  rank  of  heroes,  and  no 
one  with  a  noble  part  to  play  should  condescend  to  an  ig- 
noble passion.  Do  you  not  burn  to  regain  the  independence 
of  your  soil?  " 

"  Ah,  senor,"  said  the  Indian,  "  we  never  lose  sight  of 
that  glorious  enterprise,  and  the  day  is  not  far  off  when  my 
brethren  will  rise  en  masse  to  accomplish  it !  " 

"I  understand  to  what  you  refer,"  replied  the  marquis; 
*'  you  are  thinking  of  that  secret  war  which  you  are  plan- 
ning in  the  retirement  of  the  mountains;  you  are  going  to 
descend  in  full  array,  and  at  a  concerted  signal  pounce  upon 
the  town  below.  Yes,  you  may  come,  but  you  will  come, 
as  you  have  always  come,  only  to  be  vanquished.  You  have 
not  the  faintest  chance  of  making  good  your  hold  amidst 
the  continual  revolutions  of  which  Peru  must  be  the  scene, — 
revolutions  which  elevate  the  half-breeds  to  the  detriment 
alike  of  Indians  and  of  Spaniards." 

"  Nay,  but  we  will  save  our  country !  "  was  Martin's  eager 
remonstrance. 

"  Save  it?  yes,  you  may;  if  only  you  comprehend  your 
proper  part.  But  listen  to  me  for  a  moment.  I  would  speak 
to  you  as  tenderly  as  though  you  were  my  son.  I  tell  you, 
although  I  own  it  with  the  deepest  sorrow,  that  we  Spaniards 
are  degenerate  sons  of  a  once  powerful  race :  our  energy  is 
gone,  and  we  entirely  lack  the  vigor  to  regain  the  supremacy 
we  have  lost.  But  it  rests  with  you  to  prevail;  and  prevail 
you  can  if  you  will  only  crush  the  mischievous  spirit  of 
Americanism  which  is  refusing  to  tolerate  the  settlement  of 
foreigners  as  colonists  amongst  us.  Be  sure  of  this:  there 
is  only  one  policy  that  can  save  the  old  Peruvian  Empire; 
you  must  have  a  European  immigration.  The  intestine  war 
which  you  are  contemplating  can  effect  no  good  at  all ;  it  will 
only  trample  out  every  grade  but  the  one  you  want  to  ex- 
tinguish. Nothing  can  be  done  except  you  frankly  stretch 
out  the  hand  of  welcome  to  the  laboring  population  of  the 
Old  World."^ 


THE  MARQUIS  DON  VEGAL  131 

"  Indians,  senor,"  replied  Martin  Paz,  "  must  ever  be  the 
sworn  foes  of  strangers,  let  them  come  whence  they  will. 
Indians  will  never  tolerate  the  claims  of  foreigners  to  plant 
their  footsteps  upon  their  soil  or  to  breathe  their  mountain 
air.  My  control  over  them  is  of  such  a  character  that  it 
would  not  last  a  moment  longer  than  I  should  denounce 
death  to  every  oppressor  of  their  liberty.  It  must  be  borne 
in  mind,  too,"  he  continued,  in  a  tone  of  mournful  despon- 
dency, "  that  I  am  myself  a  fugitive  with  not  three  hours  to 
live  if  I  were  to  venture  into  the  streets  of  Lima." 

"  Lima !  "  exclaimed  the  marquis,  "  you  must  promise  me 
at  least  that  you  will  not  trust  yourself  in  Lima !  " 

"  Were  I  to  pledge  myself  to  that,"  said  Martin,  "  I  should 
be  disguising  the  true  intention  of  my  heart." 

Don  Vegal  sat  and  mused  in  silence.  There  was  no  room 
to  doubt  that  the  Indian's  passion  was  growing  more  in- 
tense from  day  to  day,  and  the  marquis  knew  that  if  he 
should  presume  to  enter  Lima  he  would  to  a  certainty  be  ex- 
posing himself  to  an  immediate  death.  What  could  he  do 
but  resolve  by  any  and  all  means  at  his  command  to  hurry 
on  the  marriage  of  the  young  Jewess  to  Andre  Certa. 

To  convince  himself  of  the  true  state  of  affairs  the  mar- 
quis rose  betimes  one  morning  and  made  his  way  from  Cho- 
rillos  back  into  the  town.  He  was  there  informed  that 
Andre  Certa  had  so  far  recovered  from  his  wound  that  he 
was  about  again,  and  that  his  approaching  marriage  was  the 
subject  of  general  gossip. 

Desirous  of  seeing  the  maiden  who  had  so  completely 
captivated  Martin  Paz,  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal  directed  his 
steps  towards  the  Plaza  Mayor  at  the  evening  hour,  when 
the  throng  was  invariably  very  great,  and  on  his  way  en- 
countered his  old  friend.  Father  Joachim.  The  monk  was 
extremely  astonished  at  being  informed  that  Martin  Paz  was 
still  alive,  and  nothing  could  exceed  the  eagerness  with 
which  he  undertook  to  keep  a  watch  on  behalf  of  the  young 
Indian,  and  to  acquaint  the  marquis  with  any  intelligence 
which  might  be  of  interest  to  him. 

While  the  two  were  conversing,  the  attention  of  the  mar- 
quis was  arrested  by  a  young  girl  enveloped  in  a  black  man- 
tle, who  was  reclining  on  the  low  seat  of  a  barouche. 

"Who  is  that  handsome  young  lady?"  he  inquired  of 
Father  Joachim. 


132  THE   PEARL  OF  LIMA 

"  That  is  old  Samuel's  daughter,  the  girl  who  is  on  the 
point  of  marrying  Andre  Certa,"  said  the  monk. 

"  That  the  daughter  of  a  Jew !  "  involuntarily  exclaimed 
Don  Vegal;  but  he  restrained  further  expression  of  his  as- 
tonishment, shook  hands  with  his  friend,  and  retraced  his 
way  to  Chorillos. 

His  surprise  bewildered  him  still  more  when  he  came  to 
consider  that  perchance  she  was  not  really  a  Jewess ;  he  had 
recognized  her  as  the  girl  whom  he  had  seen  kneeling  in 
prayer  within  the  Church  of  St  Anne. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  PLOT  BETRAYED 

All  this  time,  however,  a  very  unusual  agitation  was  going 
on  amongst  the  Indians;  those  of  them  who  resided  in  the 
town  keeping  up  a  vigorous  communication  with  those  who 
habitually  made  their  homes  amongst  the  mountains.  They 
seemed  for  a  time  to  have  shaken  off  the  dullness  of  their 
native  apathy.  No  longer  lounging  wrapped  in  their  pon- 
chos and  basking  in  the  sunshine,  they  were  ever  and  again 
hurrying  to  and  fro  in  the  direction  of  the  open  country; 
they  greeted  one  another  significantly  as  they  met;  they 
were  ever  making  mysterious  signs  of  mutual  recognition, 
and  continually  held  their  meetings  in  out-of-the-way, 
second-rate  hotels,  where  they  could  carry  on  their  confer- 
ences without  any  risk  of  being  observed. 

This  unusual  commotion  was  for  the  most  part  obvious 
in  one  of  the  loneliest  quarters  of  the  town.  At  the  corner 
of  a  street  there  was  a  dejected  tenement,  only  one  story 
high,  the  miserable  appearance  of  which  could  not  fail  to 
attract  observation.  It  was  a  kind  of  tap-room,  of  the 
low^est  description,  kept  by  an  old  Indian  woman,  who 
found  her  customers  entirely  among  the  most  abject  of  the 
poor,  who  bought  her  beer  made  from  fermented  maize,  or, 
failing  that,  contented  themselves  with  a  decoction  of 
sugar-canes. 

It  was  only  at  certain  hours  that  there  was  any  gathering 
of  Indians  at  that  spot,  the  signal  of  meeting  being  a  long 
pole  displayed  on  the  roof  of  the  building.  But  whenever 
notice  was  given  there  was  soon  a  motley  assemblage  of 


THE  PLOT  BETRAYED  133 

the  lowest  class  of  the  natives;  there  were  cabriolet- 
drivers,  muleteers,  and  carmen  hurrying  to  the, place  of 
rendezvous,  without  loitering  for  a  moment  outside.  The 
hostess  was  all  on  the  alert,  and,  leaving  the  care  of  her 
counter  to  the  charge  of  a  servant-maid,  hastened  herself  to 
give  her  best  attention  to  her  habitual  guests. 

A  few  days  after  the  disappearance  of  Martin  Paz  there 
was  a  concourse  larger  than  usual  collected  in  the  large 
room  of  the  inn.  The  apartment  was  dim  with  clouds  of 
tobacco-smoke,  and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  any- 
one of  the  habitues  of  the  place  could  be  distinguished 
from  another.  Altogether  there  were  about  fifty  Indians 
congregated  around  the  long  table,  some  of  whom  were 
chewing  a  kind  of  tea-leaf  mixed  with  a  morsel  of  fragrant 
earth,  while  others  w^ere  drinking  fermented  liquor  from 
huge  cans;  but  none  of  them  seemed  so  much  absorbed  in 
their  own  doings  as  to  prevent  them  from  attending  to  the 
speech  in  which  an  old  Indian  was  addressing  them. 

This  Indian  was  no  other  than  Sambo,  and  the  whole 
assembly  appeared  to  be  following  him  with  an  eager  in- 
terest. He  looked  with  a  keen  scrutiny  round  the  circle 
of  his  audience,  and,  after  a  brief  pause,  continued  his 
appeal. 

"  The  Children  of  the  Sun  can  now  discuss  their  own 
affairs  quite  unmolested.  No  perfidious  spy  can  overhear 
them  here.  All  round  about  are  friends  who,  disguised  as 
wandering  street-singers,  attract  the  passers-by,  and  prevent 
all  interruption,  so  that  now  we  may  enjoy  an  uncontrolled 
and  ample  liberty. 

And  while  he  spoke  the  notes  of  a  mandolin  were  heard 
thrumming  in  the  thoroughfare  hard  by.  Certified  as  to 
their  security,  the  whole  gathering  of  Indians  prepared  to 
pay  a  yet  closer  attention  to  the  words  of  Sambo,  who 
manifestly  enjoyed  their  largest  confidence.  One  of  the 
party,  however,  interrupted  him  by  asking  abruptly :  "  Can 
Sambo  give  us  any  tidings  of  Martin  Paz?  " 

"None  whatever,"  he  replied;  "nor  can  I  tell  you 
whether  he  is  alive  or  dead :  the  Great  Spirit  alone  knows 
that.  But  I  am  expecting  some  of  our  brethren  back  who 
have  been  exploring  the  river  down  to  its  very  mouth,  and 
they  perchance  will  have  something  to  relate  about  the 
lost  body  of  your  chief." 


134  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

"  Ay,  he  might  be  a  good  leader,"  said  an  Indian  named 
Manangani,  with  the  fierce,  bold  manner  that  belonged  to 
him;  "but  why  was  he  wanting  in  his  duty,  and  absent 
from  his  post  on  the  very  night  that  the  schooner  arrived 
with  our  arms  ?  " 

The  question  elicited  no  reply.  Sambo  hung  his  head  in 
silence. 

"  Are  our  brethren  aware,"  continued  Manangani,  "  that 
there  was  an  exchange  of  shots  that  night  between  the 
schooner  and  the  coastguards,  and  do  they  know  that  the 
capture  of  the  Annunciation  would  have  been  fatal  to  our 
enterprise?  " 

A  murmur  of  assent  ran  through  the  assembly. 

Sambo  now  took  up  the  conversation,  saying  that  all  who 
would  wait  to  judge  the  matter  would  be  welcome. 

"  And  who  knows,"  he  said,  "  whether  my  son  shall  not 
some  day  reappear?  Be  patient  still.  Even  now  the  arms 
which  we  received  from  Sechura  are  in  our  keeping;  safe 
they  are  in  the  mountain  recesses  of  the  Cordilleras,  and 
ready  to  fullfil  their  work  when  you  are  prepared  to  do 
your  duty." 

"  And  what  shall  hinder  us  ?  "  exclaimed  a  young  Indian ; 
"  our  weapons  are  sharpened,  and  we  only  bide  our  time." 

"  The  hour  will  come,"  said  Sambo ;  "  but  do  our  breth- 
ren know  on  whom  the  blow  ought  first  to  fall  ?  " 

The  voice  of  one  of  the  party  was  heard  protesting  that 
the  first  to  perish  ought  to  be  the  half-breeds  who  had 
treated  them  so  insolently,  chastising  them  like  restive 
mules. 

"  Not  so,"  declared  another ;  "  the  first  that  we  should 
strike  should  be  the  appropriators  of  the  soil  we  tread." 

"  Mistaken  are  ye  altogether !  "  shouted  Sambo,  with  a 
voice  raised  in  eagerness.  "  You  must  let  your  blows  fall 
first  in  another  quarter.  It  is  not  those  of  whom  you  speak 
that  have  dared  for  three  centuries  to  plant  their  foot  upon 
our  ancestral  soil ;  rich  as  they  are,  it  is  not  they  who  have 
dragged  the  descendants  of  Manco-Capac  to  the  tomb. 
No;  rather  'tis  the  haughty  Spaniards  who  are  the  true 
conquerors,  and  who  have  reduced  you  to  the  condition  of 
being  their  very  slaves.  Their  riches  may  have  gone,  but 
their  authority  survives,  and  they  it  is  who,  in  spite  of  any 
emancipation  that  should  give  liberty  to  Peru,  still  trample 


THE  PLOT  BETRAYED  135 

our  natural  rights  beneath  their  feet.  Let  us  forget  what 
we  are,  just  that  for  once  we  may  remember  what  our 
fathers  were." 

"  True !  true !  "  was  the  shout  that  burst  forth  from  many 
a  voice  in  the  excited  company. 

Then  ensued  a  few  moments  of  silent  consideration,  when 
Sambo  proceeded  to  make  inquiries  of  some  of  the  con- 
spirators and  to  satisfy  himself  that  their  allies  in  Cusco 
^nd  throughout  Bolivia  were  ready  to  rise  as  one  man. 

His  enthusiasm  soon  again  broke  out  in  speech.  "  And 
our  brethren  on  the  mountains,  brave  Manangani,  only 
let  them  cherish  in  their  souls  a  hatred  such  as  yours,  and 
arm  themselves  with  your  courage,  too,  and  they  shall  fall 
upon  Lima  as  an  avalanche  might  come  crashing  down 
from  the  Cordilleras." 

"  Sambo  shall  not  need  to  complain,"  said  Manangani ; 
"  their  firmness  will  not  fail  them  at  the  proper  time.  Go 
but  a  few  yards  beyond  the  town  and  you  shall  find  groups 
of  eager  Indians  fired  with  the  passion  of  revenge.  In  the 
gorges  of  San  Cristoval  and  the  Amancaes  many  a  one  be- 
neath his  poncho  wears  his  poignard  hanging  in  his  belt, 
and  only  waits  to  have  the  rifle  trusted  to  his  hand.  Never 
will  they  forget  to  exact  the  vengeance  that  is  due  from 
the  Spaniards  for  their  defeat  of  Manco-Capac." 

"  Good ! "  replied  Sambo ;  "  it  is  the  God  of  hatred  that 
inspires  your  lips.  My  brethren  shall  soon  know  what 
their  chiefs  have  decided.  All  that  Gambarra  wants  now 
is  to  consolidate  his  power;  Bolivar  has  retired;  Santa  Cruz 
has  been  chased  away,  and  we  can  act  in  perfect  safety. 
Wait  but  a  few  days  and  our  adversaries  will  be  taking 
their  pleasure  at  the  coming  festival  of  the  Amancaes. 
Then  will  be  our  time ;  then  must  we  set  ourselves  in  motion, 
and  the  summons  must  be  heard  even  to  the  remotest  vil- 
lage of  Bolivia." 

Three  Indians  at  this  moment  entered  the  room.  Sambo 
received  them  with  the  eager  inquiry: 

"Well,  what  news?     Is  he  found?" 

"  No,"  replied  one  of  the  three ;  "  the  body  is  nowhere  to 
be  found.  Though  we  have  searched  every  foot  of  the 
river  bank,  and  sent  the  most  skillful  of  our  divers  down  to 
search  the  depths,  we  find  no  trace  of  Sambo's  son.  Doubt- 
less he  has  perished  in  the  waters  of  the  Rimac." 


136  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

"  Have  they  then  killed  him?  Is  he  lost?  Woe,  woe  to 
them  if  they  have  slain  my  son!"  Then,  repressing  his 
passion,  he  added,  "  Let  my  brothers  now  go  quietly  away. 
Go  ye  away  to  your  place,  but  be  on  your  guard  and  ready 
for  the  call." 

All  the  Indians  gradually  took  their  departure,  leaving 
Sambo  and  Manangani  alone  behind. 

"  Do  you  know,"  asked  Manangani,  "  what  was  the 
motive  that  took  your  son  that  night  to  the  quarter  of  San 
Lazaro?    Are  you  sure  of  him?" 

"  Sure  of  him !  "  said  Sambo,  re-echoing  the  words,  with 
a  flash  of  indignant  wrath  in  his  eyes  beneath  which  Manan- 
gani involuntarily  recoiled,  "  sure  of  him !  If  Martin  Paz 
should  be  a  traitor  to  his  friends,  I  would  first  slay  every 
soul  to  whom  he  had  given  his  friendship;  nay,  I  would 
not  spare  them  to  whom  he  had  yielded  his  dearest  love; 
and  then  I  would  kill  him;  and,  last  of  all,  I  would  kill 
myself.  Perish  everything  beneath  the  sun  rather  than 
dishonor  shall  befall  our  race." 

His  fervid  speech  was  interrupted  by  the  hostess  bringing 
in  a  letter  addressed  to  him. 

"Who  gave  you  this?"  he  asked. 

"  I  cannot  tell,"  replied  the  woman ;  "  it  was  left,  appar- 
ently by  design,  as  if  forgotten  by  one  of  the  men  who 
have  been  drinking  at  one  of  the  tables," 

"Have  any  but  Indians  been  in  here?"  he  inquired. 

"  None  whatever  but  Indians,"  was  her  prompt  reply. 

As  soon  as  the  woman  had  gone  he  unfolded  the  docu- 
ment and  read  it  aloud :  "  A  young  girl  has  been  praying 
for  Martin  Paz.  She  cannot  forget  one  who  has  imperiled 
his  life  for  the  sake  of  hers.  Has  Sambo  any  tidings  of 
his  son?  If  he  has  news  of  him,  let  him  bind  a  scarlet 
band  around  his  arm.  There  are  eyes  ever  on  the  watch 
to  see  him  pass." 

Crumbling  up  the  paper,  he  exclaimed :  "  Unhappy  fool ! 
to  be  entangled  by  the  fascinations  of  a  pretty  girl !  " 

"Who  is  she?"  inquired  Manangani. 

"  No  Indian  maid,"  said  Sambo,  "  some  dainty  damsel 
full  of  airs.  Ah,  Martin  Paz,  you  are  beside  yourself !  I 
know  you  not !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  do  what  the  woman  asks  ?  " 

"  No ! "  said  the  Indian  vehemently,  "  let  her  abandon 


THE  PLOT  BETRAYED  [137 

all  hope  of  setting  eyes  upon  my  son  again,  and  let  her  die 
in  ignorance !  "  And  while  he  spoke  he  angrily  tore  the 
paper  into  fragments. 

"  It  must  have  been  an  Indian  who  brought  the  letter," 
observed  Manangani. 

"  Not  one  of  our  party.  It  is  known  well  enough  that 
I  am  often  here,  but  I  shall  not  come  again.  Now  do 
you  return  to  the  mountains.  I  will  keep  watch  in  the 
town.  The  feast  day  comes,  and  we  shall  see  whether  it 
be  a  festival  of  rejoicing  for  the  oppressors  or  the  op- 
pressed." With  this  parting  direction  the  two  Indians  each 
departed  on  his  own  way. 

The  plot  of  the  Indians  had  been  deeply  laid,  and  the 
time  for  its  execution  was  adroitly  chosen.  The  population 
of  Peru  was  reduced  to  a  comparatively  small  number  of 
Spaniards  and  half-breeds.  From  the  forests  of  Brazil, 
from  the  mountains  of  Chili,  from  the  plains  of  La  Plata, 
the  hordes  of  Indians  had  been  summoned,  and  would  find 
it  an  easy  task  to  cover  the  whole  territory  which  was  to 
be  the  theater  of  revolution.  Once  let  the  larger  towns, 
Lima,  Cusco,  and  Puno,  fall  into  their  hands,  and  victory 
was  all  their  own.  There  was  no  fear  of  the  Columbian 
troops,  who  had  recently  been  driven  out  by  the  Peruvian 
government,  returning  to  assist  their  adversaries  in  the  hour 
of  their  necessity. 

And  it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  this  revolutionary 
movement  would  have  resulted  in  entire  success  if  its  in- 
tention had  been  confided  to  none  but  Indian  breasts : 
among  them  there  was  no  fear  of  treachery. 

But  they  knew  not  that  there  was  a  man  who  already 
had  obtained  a  private  audience  with  Gambarra,  and  had 
apprized  him  that  the  schooner  Annunciation  had  been 
unlading  firearms  of  every  description  into  the  canoes  and 
pirogues  of  the  Indians  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rimac;  they 
knew  not  that  that  man  had  gone  to  claim  a  reward  from 
the  Peruvian  Government  for  the  very  service  of  exposing 
their  own  proceedings. 

A  double  game  was  this.  The  man  who  for  a  large 
payment  had  chartered  his  ship  to  Sambo  for  the  convey- 
ance of  the  arms,  had  gone  at  once  to  the  president  and 
betrayed  the  existence  of  the  conspiracy. 

The  man  was  Samuel  the  Jew. 


CHAPTER   VI 
THE  Jew's  secret 

As  soon  as  he  was  restored  to  health,  Andre  Certa,  still 
believing  in  the  death  of  Martin  Paz,  began  to  hurry  on  his 
marriage.  His  intended  bride  continued  to  regard  him 
with  the  most  complete  indifference;  but  this  did  not  occa- 
sion him  any  concern;  he  regarded  her  solely  as  a  costly 
article  for  which  he  had  to  pay  the  handsome  price  of 
100,000  piastres. 

It  must  be  alleged  that  Andre  had  no  confidence  at  all 
in  the  Jew,  and  he  was  right  in  entertaining  mistrust.  If 
the  contract  had  been  void  of  honesty,  so  were  the  con- 
tractors void  of  principle.  Accordingly  Andre  was  now 
anxious  for  a  private  interview  with  Samuel,  and  for  that 
purpose  took  him  for  a  day  to  Chorillos,  where  he  also 
hoped  to  have  the  chance  of  trying  a  little  gambling  before 
his  marriage. 

The  gaming-tables  had  been  opened  at  the  baths  a  few 
days  after  the  marquis's  arrival,  and  ever  since  they  had 
been  the  means  of  keeping  up  an  incessant  traffic  along  the 
road  to  Lima.  Some  came  on  foot,  who  returned  with 
the  luxury  of  a  carriage;  while  others  came  only  fairly  to 
exhaust  the  remnant  of  a  shattered  fortune. 

Neither  Don  Vegal  nor  Martin  Paz  took  any  share  in 
the  play;  the  restlessness  of  the  young  Indian  was  caused 
by  a  far  nobler  game.  After  their  evening  walks  Martin 
would  take  leave  of  the  marquis,  and,  going  to  his  own 
room,  would  lounge  with  his  elbows  on  the  window-sill,  and 
spend  hours  in  silent  reverie. 

The  marquis  ever  and  again  recalled  to  his  recollection 
the  young  girl  whom  he  had  seen  praying  in  the  Catholic 
church,  but  he  did  not  venture  to  entrust  the  secret  to  his 
guest,  although  he  took  occasion  little  by  little  to  acquaint 
him  with  the  essentials  of  the  Christian  faith.  He  hesi- 
tated to  allude  to  the  girl,  because  he  was  fearful  of  reviv- 
ing the  very  interest  that  he  was  anxious  to  allay.  It  was 
necessary  that  the  Indian  should  renounce  every  hope  of 
obtaining  the  hand  of  Sarah.  Only  let  the  police,  he 
thought,  abandon  their  search  for  Martin,  and  his  protector 
did  not  doubt  that  in  the  course  of  time  he  could  procure 
him  an  introduction  into  the  first  circle  of  Peruvian  society. 

But  Martin  Paz  would  not  surrender  himself  to  despair 

138 


THE  JEW'S  SECRET  139 

without  assuring  himself  of  the  hopelessness  of  his  chance. 
He  resolved  at  all  risks  to  know  the  actual  destiny  of  the 
young  Jewess.  Screened  from  suspicion  by  his  Spanish 
attire,  he  thought  he  might  enter  into  the  gambling-halls, 
and  so  hear  the  conversation  of  those  who  habitually  fre- 
quented them.  Andre  Certa  was  a  person  of  sufficient  note 
to  make  his  marriage,  as  it  drew  near,  a  topic  of  consider- 
able talk. 

One  evening,  therefore,  instead  of  turning  his  steps  to- 
wards the  seashore,  the  Indian  bent  his  way  towards  the 
high  cliffs  on  which  the  principal  houses  in  Chorillos  were 
built,  and  entered  a  house  that  was  approached  by  a  large 
flight  of  stone  steps.     This  was  the  gambling-house. 

The  day  had  been  trying  to  more  than  one  of  the  people 
of  Lima.  Some  of  them,  worn  out  by  the  fatigue  of  the 
preceding  night,  were  reposing  on  the  ground,  covered  with 
their  ponchos.  The  other  gamblers  were  seated  before  a 
large  table  covered  with  green  baize,  and  divided  into  four 
compartments  by  two  lines  that  cut  each  other  at  right 
angles  in  the  middle.  Each  of  these  compartments  was 
marked  with  either  the  letter  A.,  or  the  letter  S.,  the  initial 
letters  of  the  Spanish  words  "  asar,"  and  "  suerte,"  hazard 
and  chance.  The  players  put  their  money  upon  whichever 
of  the  letters  they  chose,  a  croupier  held  the  stakes,  and 
threw  two  dice  upon  the  table,  and  the  combined  readings 
of  the  points  determined  whether  A.  or  S.  was  the  winner. 

At  this  particular  moment  there  was  a  general  animation, 
and  one  half-breed  could  be  noticed  persevering  against  ill- 
luck  with  a  feverish  determination. 

"  Two  thousand  piastres !  "  he  exclaimed. 

The  croupier  shook  the  dice,  and  a  muttered  curse  fell 
from  the  player's  lips. 

"  Four  thousand  piastres !  "  he  said. 

But  again  he  lost. 

Protected  by  the  shadows  of  the  hall,  Martin  Paz  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  player's  face.  It  was  Andre  Certa,  and 
close  beside  him  stood  the  Jew  Samuel.  "  There,"  said 
Samuel,  "  that's  play  enough.  The  luck  is  all  against  you 
to-day." 

"  Curse  the  luck  I  "  said  Andre  impetuously,  "  it  does  not 
matter  to  you." 

The  Jew  whispered  in  the  young  man's  ear :    "  It  may 


140  THE   PEARL   OF   LIMA 

not  matter  to  me;  but  to  you  it  matters  much,  and  you 
should  desist  from  the  practice  for  the  few  days  before 
your  marriage." 

"  Eight  thousand  piastres ! "  was  the  only  reply  that 
Andre  made,  as  he  laid  his  stake  upon  the  S. 

"  A.  wins,"  was  the  immediate  decision  of  the  dice,  and 
the  half-breed's  blaspheming  oaths  were  hardly  covered  by 
the  croupier's  summons,  "  Make  your  game,  gentlemen ; 
make  your  game." 

Taking  a  roll  of  notes  from  his  pocket,  Andre  was  on 
the  point  of  hazarding  a  still  larger  sum;  he  was  placing 
them  on  the  table,  and  the  croupier  was  already  shaking  his 
dice  box. 

The  Jew  bent  his  head  again  towards  the  ear  of  Andre, 
and  said :  "  You  will  have  nothing  left  to-night  to  close 
our  bargain.     Everything  will  then  be  broken  off." 

Andre  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  uttered  an  ejaculation 
of  rage ;  but  he  took  up  the  money  he  had  staked,  and  went 
out  of  the  room. 

"  You  may  go  on  now,"  said  Samuel,  addressing  the 
croupier;  "you  may  ruin  that  gentleman  if  you  like,  but 
not  until  after  his  marriage." 

The  croupier  bowed  obsequiously.  The  Jew  was  the 
originator  and  proprietor  of  the  gaming-house.  Wherever 
there  was  gold  to  be  won,  he  was  sure  to  be  found. 

Following  the  young  half-breed  out,  he  overtook  him 
upon  the  stone  steps,  and  telling  him  that  he  had  matters  of 
great  importance  to  communicate  to  him,  asked  where  they 
might  converse  in  uninterrupted  security. 

**  Where  you  please ! "  said  Andre,  with  abrupt  dis- 
courtesy. 

"  Let  me  advise  you,  sefior,"  said  Samuel,  "  not  to  let 
your  bad  temper  interfere  with  your  future  advantage. 
My  secret  is  not  to  be  revealed  within  the  best  closed  doors ; 
no,  nor  yet  in  the  most  secluded  wilderness.  It  is  a  secret 
for  which  you  think  you  are  paying  me  a  good  high  price, 
but  let  me  assure  you  it  is  well  worth  keeping." 

While  they  were  thus  talking  they  came  to  the  spot  where 
the  bathing-houses  were  erected ;  but  they  had  no  idea  how 
they  were  being  overlooked  and  overheard  by  Martin  Paz, 
who  had  glided  after  them  like  a  serpent. 

"  Let  us  take  a  boat,"  said  Andre,  "  and  put  out  to  sea." 


THE   JEW'S    SECRET  141 

He  then  loosened  a  light  boat  from  its  moorings  on  the 
shore,  and  flinging  some  money  to  its  owner,  he  made 
Samuel  get  in,  and  pushed  off  into  the  open  water. 

No  sooner  did  Martin  Paz  observe  the  boat  leave  the 
shore  than,  concealed  by  a  projecting  rock,  he  hastily  un- 
dressed, and  taking  the  precaution  to  fasten  on  his  belt,  to 
which  he  attached  a  poignard,  he  swam  with  all  his  strength 
in  the  same  direction.  By  this  time  the  sun  had  sunk  be- 
low the  horizon,  and  the  obscurity  of  twilight  enveloped 
both  sea  and  sky. 

One  thing  Martin  had  forgotten.  He  did  not  call  to 
mine,  that  ihe  waters  of  these  latitudes  were  infested  with 
snarks  of  the  most  ferocious  kind;  but,  plunging  recklessly 
into  the  fatal  flood,  he  made  good  his  way  till  he  was  near 
enough  to  the  boat  just  to  catch  the  voices  of  the  two  as 
they  spoke. 

"  But  what  proof  am  I  to  give  the  father  of  the  girl's 
identity?"  were  the  first  words  he  heard  Andre  say. 

"Proof!  why,  you  must  detail  the  circumstances  under 
which  he  lost  his  child." 

"What  were  the  circumstances?"  asked  Andre. 

"  Listen,  and  you  shall  hear,"  replied  the  Jew. 

Martin  Paz  could  only  by  an  effort  keep  his  position 
within  ear-shot  of  the  boat,  and  what  he  heard  he  failed  to 
comprehend. 

The  Jew  proceeded  to  say :  "  It  was  in  Chili,  at  Concep- 
tion, that  Sarah's  father  lived.  He  is  a  nobleman  that 
you  already  know,  and  his  wealth  was  according  to  his 
rank.  He  was  obliged,  by  business  of  a  pressing  nature, 
to  come  to  Lima.  He  came  alone,  leaving  behind  his  wife 
and  a  little  daughter  only  five  months  old.  In  every  re- 
spect the  climate  of  Peru  was  agreeable  to  him,  and  he  sent 
for  his  lady  to  join  him  there.  Bringing  with  her  only  a 
few  trusty  servants,  she  embarked  on  the  San  Jose,  of  Val- 
paraiso. On  that  ship  it  chanced  that  I  was  myself  a  pas- 
senger. The  San  Jose  was  bound  to  put  into  harbor  at 
Lima;  but  just  off  the  point  of  Juan  Fernandez  she  was 
exposed  to  a  terrific  hurricane,  which  disabled  her,  and 
laid  her  upon  her  beam-ends.  The  whole  of  the  crew,  and 
the  passengers,  betook  themselves  to  the  long-boat.  The 
marchioness  refused  to  enter  the  boat,  but  clasping  her 
infant  in  her  arms,  resolved  at  all  hazards  to  remain  where 


142  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

she  was.  I  remained  with  her.  The  long-boat  made  off, 
but  before  it  had  proceeded  a  hundred  fathoms  from  the 
ship,  it  was  swallowed  up  in  the  angry  waters.  The  two 
of  us  remained  alone.  The  storm  came  on  with  increasing 
fury.  As  I  had  not  my  property  on  board,  I  was  not 
reduced  to  a  condition  of  absolute  despair.  The  San  Jose, 
with  five  feet  of  water  in  her  hold,  drove  upon  the  rocks 
and  was  dashed  to  pieces.  The  lady  with  her  child  was 
thrown  into  the  sea.  It  was  my  fortune  to  be  able  to  rescue 
the  little  girl,  although  I  saw  the  mother  perish  before  my 
eyes;  and  with  the  child  in  my  arms,  I  contrived  to  reach 
the  shore." 

"Are  these  details  all  correct?"  asked  Andre. 

"Yes,  to  the  most  minute  particular.  The  father  will 
not  deny  them.  Ah!  I  did  a  good  day's  work  when  I 
earned  that  100,000  piastres  which  you  are  going  to  pay 
me. 

Perplexed  beyond  measure,  Martin  could  not  suppress 
the  ejaculation,  "What  does  all  this  mean?" 

"  Here,"  said  Andre,  "  here  is  your  money." 

"  Thanks !  "  replied  Samuel,  eagerly  pocketing  the  cash, 
"  and  here  is  your  receipt.  I  guarantee  to  return  you  twice 
the  sum  if  you  do  not  find  yourself  a  member  of  one  of  the 
noblest  Spanish  families." 

Martin  Paz  was  more  bewildered  than  ever.  He  could 
give  no  meaning  to  what  he  heard.  The  boat  began  to 
move  in  his  direction,  and  he  was  about  to  dive  below  the 
water  to  elude  observation  when  he  saw  a  huge  black  mass 
rolling  onwards  towards  him. 

It  was  a  tintorea,  a  shark  of  the  most  voracious  kind. 

Although  the  Indian  dived  immediately,  he  was  soon 
obliged  to  come  to  the  surface  to  take  breath.  As  he  rose 
he  was  struck  by  the  tail  of  the  shark,  and  felt  the  slimy 
scales  against  his  breast.  In  order  to  grasp  its  prey,  the 
animal,  according  to  its  habit,  rolled  over  on  its  back,  and 
displayed  its  monstrous  jaw  armed  with  its  triple  rows  of 
teeth;  but  in  an  instant,  Martin,  catching  a  glimpse  of  its 
white  belly,  made  a  desperate  effort,  and  plunged  in  his 
dagger  to  its  very  hilt. 

The  waves  around  him  were  all  red  with  blood ;  he  made 
another  dive,  and,  rising  about  ten  fathoms  away,  had 
entirely  lost  sight  of  the  boat.     A  few  more  strokes,  and  he 


THE   JEW'S    SECRET  143 

regained  the  shore,  hardly  conscious  of  the  hairbreadth 
escape  he  had  had  from  the  most  terrible  of  deaths. 

Next  day  he  was  gone  from  Chorillos,  and  Don  Vegal, 
harassed  by  misgivings,  hurried  with  all  speed  to  Lima,  in 
the  hope  of  finding  him. 


CHAPTER    Vn 

THE  BRIDE  DISAPPEARS 

Quite  an  event  was  the  approaching  marriage  of  Andre 
Certa  with  the  daughter  of  the  affluent  Jew.  The  ladies 
had  no  time  for  repose;  the  necessity  of  inventing  new 
fashions  and  for  preparing  elaborate  costumes  to  grace  the 
occasion  occupied  every  thought  and  taxed  every  resource. 

The  mansion  of  the  Jew  was  especially  the  scene  of 
bustle,  as  he  was  resolved  to  give  a  most  sumptuous  enter- 
tainment in  honor  of  Sarah's  wedding.  The  frescoes  which 
decorated  the  walls  in  Spanish  fashion  were  restored  at  a 
large  expense;  hangings  of  the  most  costly  quality  were 
hung  at  every  window  and  over  every  door ;  handsome 
furniture,  carved  of  fragrant  wood,  diffused  a  pleasant 
odor  throughout  the  spacious  rooms,  while  plants  of  the 
rarest  and  loveliest  growth,  the  products  of  the  most  lux- 
uriant regions  of  the  tropics,  adorned  the  balconies  and 
terraces  at  every  turn. 

The  maiden  herself,  however,  was  the  victim  of  despair. 
Sambo  had  no  longer  any  hope,  otherwise  he  would  have 
worn  the  red  token  on  his  arm.  Her  servant  Liberta  had 
been  sent  to  keep  a  watch  upon  the  old  Indian,  but  he  had 
been  unable  to  discover  anything. 

Could  the  girl  only  have  been  free  to  follow  the  dictates 
of  her  heart  she  would  not  have  hesitated  an  instant  to  have 
sought  a  refuge  in  the  nearest  convent,  and  to  have  made 
her  vows  for  all  her  future  life.  Attracted  as  she  was  with 
the  doctrines  of  the  Catholics  as  they  had  been  irresistibly 
expounded  to  her  by  the  eloquence  of  Father  Joachim,  she 
would  have  surrendered  herself  with  the  most  genuine  of 
zeal  to  the  influences  of  that  faith  which  was  winding  itself 
so  sympathetically  around  the  longings  of  her  heart. 

The  monk,  anxious  to  avoid  every  suspicion  of  scandal, 
and  being  better  read  in  his  breviary  than  in  the  passions 


144  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

of  human  nature,  allowed  Sarah  to  believe  in  the  death  of 
Martin  Paz.  The  girl's  conversion  seemed  to  him  the  mat- 
ter of  supreme  importance,  and  presuming  that  this  would 
be  secured  by  her  marriage  with  Andre,  he  tried  to  recon- 
cile her  to  the  union,  without  at  all  knowing  the  conditions 
under  which  it  was  concluded. 

At  length  the  day  arrived,  a  day  so  full  of  congratula- 
tions to  one  party,  so  heavy  in  misgivings  to  the  other. 
Andre  Certa  had  issued  his  invitation  to  well-nigh  the  whole 
town,  but  had  the  mortification  of  finding  that,  under  some 
pretext  or  other,  all  the  superior  families  had  excused 
themselves. 

The  hour  struck  at  which  the  marriage  contract  had  to 
be  signed,  and  expectation  rose  to  its  height,  when  all  be- 
came aware  that  the  bride  had  not  appeared. 

The  annoyance  and  alarm  of  the  old  Jew  were  intense. 
The  frown  that  lowered  on  the  brow  of  Andre  Certa  was 
the  witness  of  mingled  anger  and  amazement.  Embar- 
rassment seized  every  guest;  and  the  whole  scene  was 
brought  out  in  singular  distinctness  by  the  thousands  of  wax 
hghts,  whose  rays  were  reflected  from  the  countless  mirrors. 

Meanwhile,  outside  in  the  general  thoroughfare,  there 
was  a  man  pacing  up  and  down  in  a  state  of  the  wildest 
excitement.     That  man  was  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal. 


CHAPTER   Vni 

THE  RESCUE 

Throughout  this  period  Sarah,  a  prey  to  the  bitterest 
anguish,  remained  in  the  solitude  of  her  own  room.  Noth- 
ing could  induce  her  to  quit  it.  Once,  half  stifled  by  her 
emotion,  she  sought  relief  by  going  to  the  balcony  that 
overhung  the  garden  below. 

At  that  very  instant  she  caught  sight  of  a  man  wending 
his  way  through  the  groves  of  magnolias,  and  recognized 
her  servant  Liberta.  To  all  appearance  he  was  stealthily 
watching  someone  who  did  not  see  him.  At  one  moment 
he  was  concealing  himself  behind  a  statue,  at  the  next  he 
was  crouching  on  the  grass. 

Then  all  at  once  the  girl  mrned  pale.  There  was  Liberta 
struggling  with  a  tall  man  w^ho  had  thrown  him  to  the 

V.  I  Verne 


THE  RESCUE  145 

ground,  and  who  was  pressing  his  hand  over  his  mouth  so 
that  he  could  only  utter  a  feeble  groan.  She  was  about  to 
cry  out,  when  she  saw  the  two  men  rise  together  from  the 
ground,  and  deliberately  make  a  survey  of  each  other. 

"  You !  you !  is  it  you  ?  "  said  Liberta. 

There  had  risen  to  her  vision  what  appeared  to  be  a 
phantom  from  another  world,  and  as  Liberta  now  followed 
the  man  who  had  felled  him  to  the  earth,  she  recognized 
Martin  Paz,  and  was  unable  to  do  more  than  re-echo  the 
words  she  had  heard,  "  You!  you !  is  it  you?  " 

Gazing  at  her  intently,  Martin  addressed  her  -with,  an 
earnest  appeal. 

"Does  the  bride  hear  the  revelry  of  the  bridal  feast? 
Are  not  the  guests  speeding  to  the  hall,  that  they  may 
rejoice  in  the  beauty  of  her  charms?  The  victim,  is  she 
prepared  for  the  sacrifice?  Is  it  with  these  pale  cheeks, 
and  trembling  lips,  that  she  is  going  to  surrender  herself  to 
the  bridegroom?  " 

She  scarcely  understood  him,  but  he  continued  his  pathetic 
address,  "  Why  should  the  maiden  weep  ?  There  is  peace 
there;  far  away  from  the  house  of  her  father;  far  away 
from  the  home  where  she  drops  her  tears  of  bitterness;  there 
is  peace  there." 

And  drawing  himself  to  his  full  height,  he  stood  pointing 
W'ith  his  finger  to  the  summits  of  the  Cordilleras,  as  if  show- 
ing that  there  was  a  refuge  in  the  mountains  to  which  she 
might  escape. 

The  girl  felt  herself  constrained  by  an  irresistible  impulse. 
There  were  voices  close  to  her  very  chamber;  she  heard 
the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps;  her  father  was  on  his 
way,  perchance  the  man  to  whom  she  was  betrothed  was 
coming  too.  Suddenly  Martin  Paz  extinguished  the  lamp 
that  hung  above  her  head,  and  his  whistle,  just  as  on  that 
evening  on  the  Plaza-Mayor,  resounded  shrilly  through  the 
gathering  shades  of  night. 

The  door  burst  open.  Samuel  and  Andre  Certa  hurried 
in.  The  darkness  was  all  bewildering.  The  servants  has- 
tened to  bring  some  lanterns ;  but  the  room  was  empty. 

"  Death  and  fury!  "  shrieked  the  half-breed. 

"  Where  is  she?  "  exclaimed  the  Jew. 

"  For  this,"  said  Andre,  with  the  coarsest  insolence,  "  I 
hold  you  responsible." 


146  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

A  cold  sweat  came  over  the  old  man,  and  uttering  a  cry 
of  anguish,  he  rushed  away,  followed  by  his  servants. 

All  this  time  Martin  Paz  had  been  flying,  at  fullest  speed, 
along  the  streets  of  the  town.  Summoned  by  his  well- 
known  signal,  at  about  two  hundred  paces  from  Samuel's 
house,  there  were  several  Indians  ready  at  his  call. 

"  Away  to  our  mountains !  "  he  cried. 

"  To  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal's !  "  came  from  a  voice  close 
behind.  The  Indian  turned,  and  found  the  marquis  stand- 
ing by  his  side. 

"  Will  you  not  trust  the  maiden  to  me?  "  said  Don  Vegal. 

Martin  bowed  his  head  in  token  of  assent,  and  said  in  a 
smothered  voice :  "  To  the  house  of  Don  Vegal !  " 

Thus  yielding  her  to  the  marquis,  Martin  had  every 
confidence  that  the  girl  would  be  in  safety,  and  from  a  feel- 
ing of  what  was  owing  to  propriety,  he  resolved  that  he 
would  not  himself  pass  the  night  under  the  marquis's  roof. 

He  made  his  way  in  another  direction;  his  head  was  hot, 
and  a  fevered  blood  was  throbbing  in  his  veins ;  but  he  had 
hardly  gone  a  hundred  yards,  when  a  party  of  half  a  dozen 
men  threw  themselves  across  his  path,  and  in  spite  of  his 
obstinate  resistance,  secured  his  arms,  and  blindfolded  him. 
He  raised  a  cry  of  desperation,  supposing  that  he  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  his  foes. 

It  did  not  take  many  minutes  to  convey  him  to  a  neigh- 
boring resort,  and  on  the  bandage  being  removed  from  his 
eyes,  he  saw  that  he  was  in  a  low  room  of  the  tavern  where 
his  associates  had  organized  their  scheme  of  revolution. 

Sambo,  who  had  been  present  at  the  rescue  of  the  young 
girl,  was  there;  Manangani  and  some  others  were  standing 
round  him.     Martin's  eyes  flashed  angrily. 

"  No  pity  had  my  son  for  me,"  said  Sambo.  "  Shame 
that  for  so  long  he  should  permit  me  to  believe  that  he  was 
dead." 

"  Is  it  fair,"  asked  Manangani,  "  that  on  the  very  eve  of 
a  revolution,  Martin  Paz,  our  chief,  should  betake  himself 
to  the  quarters  of  the  enemy." 

Not  a  word  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  prisoner  in  reply  to 
either  one  or  the  other. 

"  Why  should  it  be  tolerated,"  demanded  Manangani, 
"that  our  interests  should  be  sacrificed  to  a  woman?  "  and 
as  he  spoke  he  approached  nearer  to  Martin,  holding  a 


THE  RESCUE  147 

poignard  in  his  hand.  Martin  Paz  did  not  even  glance  at 
him,  but  still  stood  perfectly  unmoved. 

"  Let  us  speak  first,"  said  Sambo,  "  and  act  afterwards. 
If  my  son  is  disloyal  to  his  brethren,  I  shall  know  how  to 
exact  a  proper  vengeance.  Let  him  be  on  his  guard !  That 
Jew's  daughter  is  not  concealed  so  closely  as  to  elude  our 
grasp.  He  must  think  betimes.  Let  him  once  be  con- 
demned to  die,  and  there  will  not  be  a  stone  in  the  town 
on  which  he  could  rest  his  head ;  let  him,  on  the  other  hand, 
be  the  deliverer  of  his  country,  and  he  may  crown  that  head 
with  perpetual  glory !  " 

Although  Martin  Paz  did  not  break  his  silence,  it  was 
obvious  that  a  mighty  struggle  was  going  on  within  his  soul : 
Sambo  had  succeeded  in  stirring  the  depths  of  that  ardent 
nature. 

For  all  the  projects  of  insurrection  Martin  Paz  was  in- 
dispensable. His  was  an  influence  over  the  Indians  of  the 
town  which  none  but  himself  enjoyed;  he  bent  them  at  his 
will;  he  had  but  to  give  the  word,  and  they  were  prepared 
to  follow  him  to  death. 

By  Sambo's  order  the  bonds  were  removed  from  his  arms, 
and  he  stood  at  liberty.  The  old  Indian  looked  at  him 
steadily,  and  bade  him  once  more  listen.  "  To-morrow," 
he  said,  "  is  the  feast  of  the  Amanacaes.  While  the  festival 
is  at  its  height,  our  brethren  will  fall  like  an  avalanche  upon 
the  unarmed  and  unsuspecting  men  of  Lima.  Now  take 
your  choice.  There  is  the  way  to  the  mountains:  there  is 
the  way  to  the  town.     You  are  free !  " 

"  To  the  mountains !  to  the  mountains !  "  shouted  Martin ; 
"  and  death  to  our  foes !  " 

And  the  first  rays  of  the  rising  sun  cast  a  ruddy  glow 
into  the  council-chamber  of  the  Indian  chiefs  in  the  heart 
of  the  Cordilleras. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE   FESTIVAL 

And  now  the  great  annual  fete  of  the  Amanacaes  had  ar- 
rived. It  was  the  24th  of  June.  On  foot,  on  horseback,  in 
carriages,  the  bulk  of  the  population  made  its  way  to  the 
well-known  spot  about  half  a  league  from  the  town.     In- 


148  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

dians  and  half-breeds  were  wont  alike  to  share  the  mutual 
recreation;  kinsmen  and  acquaintances  marched  gayly  to 
the  festive  scene.  Each  group  carried  its  own  stock  of 
provisions,  and  many  of  them  were  headed  by  a  musician, 
who  accompanied  the  popular  melodies  which  he  sung  with 
the  notes  of  his  guitar.  Starting  through  the  fields  of  maize 
and  indigo,  they  entered  the  banana-groves  beyond,  and 
traversed  the  charming  avenues  of  willows  which  led  them 
to  the  woods,  where  the  aromatic  odor  of  citrons  and  oranges 
mingled  with  the  wild  perfume  of  the  hills.  All  along  the 
route  the  itinerant  vendors  hawked  a  liberal  supply  of  beer 
and  brandy,  which  served  to  excite  the  merriment,  and  at 
times  to  stimulate  the  boisterousness  of  the  pleasure-seeking 
multitude.  Equestrians  made  their  horses  prance  in  the  very 
middle  of  the  crowd,  vying  with  one  another  in  displaying 
their  speed  and  dexterity. 

The  festival  derives  its  name  from  the  little  flowers  that 
grow  on  the  mountains.  There  is  a  universal  license,  yet 
it  is  exceedingl}^  rare  for  the  noise  of  a  quarrel  to  be  heard 
mingling  with  the  thousand  demonstrations  of  general  joy. 
A  few  lancers  here  and  there,  wearing  their  flashing 
cuirasses,  are  more  than  sufficient  to  preserve  order  among 
the  teeming  crowds. 

But  whilst  the  festive  crowd  was  enjoying  the  fair  pros- 
pect, a  bloody  tragedy  had  been  prepared  below  the  snowy 
summits  of  the  Cordilleras.  Whilst  the  homes  of  Lima  were 
being  deserted  by  their  occupants,  a  great  number  of  Indians 
were  wandering  about  the  streets.  They  had  been  usually 
accustomed  to  join  the  general  festivity,  but  on  this  occasion 
they  went  to  and  fro  in  the  town,  silent  and  preoccupied. 
Every  now  and  then  a  busy  chief  would  give  them  some 
secret  order,  and  pass  quickly  on  his  way.  Little  by  little 
they  concentrated  all  their  force  upon  the  richest  quarters  of 
the  town. 

Thus  the  day  of  rejoicing  passed  on,  and  as  the  sun  began 
to  sink  into  the  west,  the  time  arrived  in  which  the  aristo- 
crats in  their  turn  went  out  to  join  the  general  throng.  The 
costliest  of  dresses  were  seen  in  the  handsomest  of  carriages 
which  lined  the  avenues  on  either  side  of  the  road  that  led  to 
the  Amancaes,  and  pedestrians,  horses,  and  vehicles  were 
mingled  in  inextricable  confusion. 

The  cathedral  clock  now  tolled  the  hour  of  five. 


THE  FESTIVAL  149 

Up  from  the  town  there  rose  a  mighty  cry.  At  a  con- 
certed signal,  masses  of  armed  Indians  from  many  a  by- 
way and  many  a  house,  rushed  out  and  filled  the  streets. 
The  wealthiest  districts  were  almost  in  a  moment  invaded 
by  troops  of  the  revolutionary  tribe,  not  a  few  of  whom 
were  brandishing  lighted  torches  high  above  their  heads. 

"  Death  to  the  Spaniards !  Death  and  destruction  to  the 
tyrants!  "  were  the  watch-words  of  the  rebels.  Forthwith 
from  the  surrounding  heights  came  trooping  in  a  multitude 
of  other  Indians,  hurrying  to  aid  their  brethren  in  the  general 
uproar. 

Imagination  can  scarcely  realize  the  alarming  aspect  of 
the  town  at  this  moment.  The  revolutionists  had  pene- 
trated in  all  directions.  At  the  head  of  one  party,  Martin 
Paz  was  waving  a  black  flag,  and  whilst  some  detachments 
were  assaulting  the  houses  that  were  doomed  to  pillage,  he 
led  his  troops  towards  the  Plaza-Mayor.  Close  beside  him 
was  the  ferocious  Manangani,  bellowing  out  his  infuriated 
orders. 

But  forewarned  of  the  revolt,  the  soldiers  of  the  Govern- 
ment had  ranged  themselves  in  a  line  along  the  front  of 
the  president's  palace,  and  a  general  fusillade  startled  the 
insurgents  as  they  approached.  Taken  thoroughly  by  sur- 
prise at  this  reception,  and  seeing  many  of  their  number 
fall,  the  Indians,  frantic  with  excitement,  made  a  tremen- 
dous rush  upon  the  troops,  and  great  was  the  melee  that 
ensued.  Both  Martin  Paz  and  Manangani  performed 
prodigies  of  valor,  and  it  was  only  marvelous  how  they 
escaped  with  their  lives.  It  was  of  all  things  most  essential 
that  the  palace  should  be  taken,  and  that  they  should  establish 
themselves  within  its  walls. 

"  Forward !  "  cried  Martin  Paz,  as  again  and  again  he 
urged  his  followers  to  the  assault. 

Although  they  had  been  routed  in  many  quarters,  the 
besiegers  nevertheless  succeeded  in  causing  the  battalion 
of  soldiers  that  guarded  the  front  of  the  palace  to  beat  a 
retreat,  and  Manangani  had  already  placed  his  foot  upon 
the  flight  of  steps  when  he  was  brought  to  a  sudden  stand. 
The  reserve  troops  behind  had  unmasked  two  pieces  of 
artillery,  and  were  preparing  to  open  fire. 

There  was  not  a  moment  to  lose;  the  battery  must  be 
captured  before  it  could  be  brought  into  action. 


150  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

"  We  two  must  do  It,"  shouted  Manangani  vehemently. 

But  Martin  did  not  hear  him ;  he  was  attending  to  a  negro, 
who  was  whispering  in  his  ear  that  the  house  of  the  Marquis 
Don  Vegal  was  being  plundered,  and  that  there  was  every 
chance  that  the  marquis  himself  would  be  assassinated. 

Martin  Paz  began  to  retreat.  To  no  purpose  did  Man- 
angani rally  him  to  the  attack,  and  all  at  once  the  roar  of  the 
cannon  was  heard,  and  the  Indians  were  swept  down  on 
every  side. 

"  Follow  me !  "  shouted  Martin,  and  gathering  a  handful 
of  companions  around  him,  he  succeeded  in  effecting  a  pas- 
sage back  through  the  line  of  soldiers. 

It  was  a  retreat  that  had  all  the  evil  consequences  of  an 
act  of  treachery.  The  Indians  believed  themselves  aban- 
doned by  their  chief,  and  in  vain  did  Manangani  urge  them 
to  renew  the  fight.  A  heavy  fusillade  threw  them  into 
utter  disorder,  and  their  rout  was  soon  complete.  Flames 
at  a  little  distance  attracted  some  of  the  fugitives  to  the 
work  of  pillage,  but  the  soldiers  pursued  them  with  their 
swords,  and  killed  them  in  considerable  numbers. 

Meanwhile  Martin  Paz  had  reached  the  residence  of  Don 
Vegal,  and  found  it  the  scene  of  a  furious  struggle.  Sambo 
was  there  taking  the  lead  in  the  work  of  destruction.  He 
had  a  double  motive  to  urge  him  on ;  not  only  was  he  eager 
to  plunder  the  Spaniard,  but  he  was  anxious  to  get  posses- 
sion of  Sarah  as  a  pledge  of  his  son's  fidelity. 

The  gate  and  the  walls  of  the  great  courtyard  were  thrown 
down,  and  revealed  the  marquis,  sword  in  hand,  supported 
by  his  servants,  and  making  a  vigorous  defence  against  the 
mob  that  was  assailing  him.  His  determined  attitude  and 
indomitable  courage  gave  a  certain  sublimity  to  his  appear- 
ance; he  stood  foremost  In  the  fray,  and  his  own  arm  had 
laid  low  the  corpses  that  were  on  the  ground  before  him. 

But  altogether  hopeless  seemed  the  struggle  he  was  mak- 
ing against  the  numbers  of  Indians,  which  were  now  re- 
cruited by  the  arrival  of  those  who  had  been  vanquished  on 
the  Plaza-Mayor.  He  was  all  but  succumbing  to  the  su- 
perior force  of  his  opponents,  when,  like  a  thunderbolt, 
Martin  Paz  fell  upon  the  insurgents  in  the  rear,  compelling 
them  to  face  about,  and  then  making  his  way  through  a 
shower  of  bullets  to  the  marquis's  side,  he  protected  him 
with  his  own  body  from  the  blows  which  assailed  him. 


THE  FESTIVAL  151 

"  Well  done !  well  done !  my  friend !  "  shouted  Don  Vegal, 
clasping  his  defender's  hand, 

"  Well  done !  well  done !  Martin  Paz,"  repeated  another 
voice  that  went  to  his  very  soul. 

He  recognized  Sarah;  her  words  gave  redoubled  vigor 
to  his  arm,  and  a  veritable  circle  of  bleeding  figures  lay 
stretched  around  him. 

Sambo's  troops  meanwhile  were  forced  to  yield.  Twenty 
times  did  the  modern  Brutus  make  his  unsuccessful  assaults 
upon  his  son,  and  twenty  times  did  Martin  Paz  withhold 
his  hand,  which  was  able,  if  he  would,  to  strike  down  his 
father. 

Covered  with  blood,  Manangani  suddenly  took  his  stand 
at  Sambo's  side,  and  spurred  him  on  to  vengeance.  "  Your 
oath !"  he  cried.  "  Remember  your  oath !  You  have  sworn 
to  avenge  the  traitor's  guilt  upon  his  kinsman,  upon  his 
friends,  upon  himself!  The  time  has  come!  See,  here  are 
the  soldiers,  and  Andre  Certa  is  with  them !  " 

"  Come  on,  then,"  said  Sambo,  with  the  laugh  of  a  maniac ; 
"  come  on  now !  " 

Then  leaving  the  courtyard,  the  two  together  made  their 
way  towards  a  body  of  troops  who  were  hastening  to  the 
scene;  they  were  aimed  at  by  the  advancing  corps,  but  not 
in  the  least  intimidated,  Sambo  made  his  way  straight  up  to 
Andre  Certa. 

"  You  are  Andre  Certa,"  he  said.  "  Your  bride  is  in  Don 
Vegal's  house,  and  Martin  Paz  is  going  to  carry  her  off  to 
yonder  mountains." 

He  said  no  more,  and  both  the  Indians  disappeared.  In 
this  way  Sambo  had  prevailed  to  bring  the  two  mortal  antag- 
onists face  to  face.  The  soldiers  were  misled  by  the  pres- 
ence of  Martin  Paz,  and  rushed  onwards  to  attack  tlie  house. 

Maddened  with  fury  was  Andre  Certa.  As  soon  as  he 
caught  sight  of  Martin  he  made  a  dash  upon  him.  The 
young  Indian,  as  he  recognized  the  half-breed,  howled  out 
a  challenge  of  defiance,  and  quitted  the  flight  of  steps  which 
he  had  so  valiantly  defended. 

Here  then  stood  the  rivals :  foot  to  foot,  breast  to  breast, 
face  to  face.  Keen  was  the  survey  that  each  took  of  the 
other.  Neither  friend  nor  enemy  ventured  to  approach;  all 
alike  looked  on  in  terror,  and  with  bated  breath.  Andre 
first  made  a  desperate  lunge  at  Martin  Paz,  who  had  dropped 


152  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

his  dagger;  but,  just  in  time  to  escape  the  blow,  Martin  had 
grasped  Andre's  uphfted  arm.  Andre  tried  in  vain  to  dis- 
engage it,  and  Martin,  wresting  the  poignard  from  his  ad- 
versary's hand,  plunged  it  into  his  very  heart. 

Martin  threw  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  marquis,  who 
shouted  impetuously,  "  Now  quick,  off,  off  to  the  mountains ; 
wait  no  further  bidding,  but  fly !  " 

At  this  instant  old  Samuel  made  his  appearance,  and  fling- 
ing himself  upon  Certa's  body,  drew  out  a  small  pocketbook 
which  the  dead  man  had  upon  him.  The  action  did  not 
however  escape  the  observation  of  Martin,  who,  turning 
upon  the  Jew,  snatched  the  book  from  his  hands,  and  turn- 
ing over  the  leaves,  extracted  a  paper,  which,  with  an  ex- 
clamation of  joy,  he  handed  to  the  marquis. 

The  marquis  looked  confounded  as  he  slowly  read  the 
words,  "  Received  of  Senor  Andre  Certa  the  sum  of  100,000 
piastres:  which  I  undertake  to  restore,  if  Sarah,  whom  I 
saved  from  the  wreck  of  the  San  Jose,  should  not  prove  to 
be  the  daughter  and  sole  heiress  of  the  Marquis  Don  Vegal." 

"  Daughter !  my  daughter !  "  exclaimed  the  bewildered 
Spaniard,  and  hurried  towards  the  apartment  where  Sarah 
was  concealed. 

The  girl  had  gone.  Father  Joachim  was  there,  covered 
in  blood,  and  could  only  utter  a  few  disjointed  words, 
"  Sambo  .  .  .  carried  off  .  .  .  Rio  Madeira ! " 


CHAPTER    X 

UNITED  IN  DEATH 

"  Off/'  said  Martin  Paz,  "  let  us  be  off !  " 

And  without  saying  a  word,  the  marquis  quickly  followed 
the  Indian's  lead.  His  daughter!  Yes,  at  all  hazards  he 
must  find  his  daughter. 

Mules  were  brought  without  delay,  and  the  two  men 
mounted.  They  had  buckled  on  large  gaiters  below  their 
knees,  and  put  on  broad-brimmed  straw  hats  to  shade  their 
heads;  they  carried  pistols  in  their  holsters,  and  their  rifles 
were  slung  to  their  sides.  Martin  had  fastened  his  lasso 
around  him,  attaching  one  end  to  the  harness  of  his  mule. 

Well  enough  did  he  know  every  plain  and  every  pass  of 
that  mountain-chain,  and  had  no  doubt  as  to  the  district 


UNITED  IN  DEATH  153 

into  which  Sambo  would  attempt  to  convey  the  maiden; 
his  betrothed  he  longed  to  call  her;  but  did  he  dare  thus 
to  think  of  Don  Vegal's  daughter? 

One  thought,  one  aim,  occupied  alike  the  Indian  and  the 
Spaniard,  as  they  penetrated  the  gorges  of  the  Cordilleras, 
darkened  by  the  plantations  of  pines  and  cocoa-trees.  They 
had  left  behind  the  cedars,  the  cotton-trees,  and  the  aloes; 
they  had  passed  beyond  the  fields  planted  with  luzerne  and 
maize.  To  traverse  the  mountains  at  this  season  was  a 
perilous  undertaking.  The  melting  of  the  snow  beneath  the 
rays  of  the  summer  sun  had  swollen  the  streams  to  cataracts, 
and  continually  immense  masses  came  rolling  down  from  the 
peaks  above  into  the  chasms  below. 

But  neither  by  day  nor  night  did  the  father  and  the  lover 
permit  themselves  to  rest.  They  had  reached  the  point,  the 
very  highest  in  the  chain,  and,  worn  out  with  fatigue,  seemed 
ready  to  fall  into  that  condition  of  despair  which  deprives 
men  of  all  power  to  act.  It  required  almost  a  superhuman 
effort  to  go  on;  but  turning  to  the  eastern  declivity  of  the 
mountain-range,  they  fell  upon  traces  of  the  fugitives,  and 
with  rekindled  energy  began  the  descent. 

Reaching  the  almost  boundless  virgin  forests  that  cover 
the  regions  between  Brazil  and  Peru,  they  made  their  way 
through  woods  that  might  have  proved  inextricable  had 
not  the  practiced  sagacity  of  Martin  stood  them  in  good 
stead.  Nothing  escaped  his  observation ;  and  the  ashes  of  an 
extinguished  fire,  some  vestiges  of  footsteps,  some  twigs 
broken  off  from  the  branches,  and  the  character  of  certain 
fragments  in  the  path — all  attracted  his  experienced  eye. 

Don  Vegal  feared  that  his  ill-fated  daughter  had  been 
conveyed  on  foot  over  the  crags  and  through  the  thickets, 
but  the  Indian  pointed  out  to  him  some  indications  in  the 
stony  ground  which  were  undoubtedly  the  impressions  of 
an  animal's  feet ;  and,  above  all,  the  branches  had  been  broken 
back  in  the  same  direction,  and  that  at  a  height  which  could 
only  be  reached  by  a  person  that  was  mounted.  The  mar- 
quis too  gladly  yielded  his  conviction,  and  rejoiced  to  think 
that  for  Martin  Paz  there  was  no  obstacle  insurmountable, 
and  no  peril  that  he  could  not  overcome. 

At  length  one  evening,  postively  worn  out  by  fatigue, 
they  made  a  halt.  They  had  just  come  to  the  banks  of 
a  river.     It  was  the  upper  stream  of  the  Madeira,  which 


154  THE    PEARL   OF   LIMA 

the  Indian  knew  perfectly  well.  Enormous  mangroves 
overhung  the  water  and  connected  themselves  with  the  trees 
on  the  farther  bank  by  creepers  hanging  in  fanciful  festoons. 

The  question  at  once  arose  about  the  fugitives.  Had 
they  gone  up  the  stream,  or  followed  it  farther  down?  or 
had  they  contrived  by  any  means  to  go  straight  across? 
It  was  all  important  to  decide,  and  Martin  took  unbounded 
pains  to  follow  up  some  footprints  for  a  distance  along  the 
rocks  till  he  came  to  a  glade  which  was  somewhat  less 
dense  than  the  surrounding  woods.  There  he  observed 
such  indentations  in  the  soil,  as  left  him  no  doubt  that  a 
group  of  people  had  crossed  the  river  at  that  very  spot. 

"  To-morrow,"  he  said,  "  perhaps  our  journey  may  be 


over." 


"  Nay,  let  us  go  on  now,"  said  the  marquis. 

"  We  must  cross  the  river,"  replied  Martin. 

"  Well,  why  not  swim  across  at  once?  " 

And  without  delay  they  proceeded  to  undress,  and  tying 
up  their  clothes  in  a  bundle,  that  Martin  proposed  to  carry 
over  on  his  head,  they  made  their  way  into  the  stream  as 
noiselessly  as  possible,  that  they  might  not  disturb  any  of 
the  alligators  that  are  abundant  in  all  the  rivers  both  of 
Peru  and  Brazil. 

On  arriving  safely  at  the  farther  bank  Martin  Paz  made 
it  his  first  care  to  search  for  the  track  which  the  Indians 
must  have  made,  but  after  a  long  search  amidst  the  fallen 
leaves,  and  along  the  pebbly  shore,  he  was  able  to  discover 
nothing.  Remembering,  however,  that  the  strength  of  the 
current  had  very  probably  made  them  drift  away  from 
a  straight  course,  they  reascended  the  bank  for  a  considerable 
distance,  when  they  came  upon  footprints  so  decided  that 
they  could  not  be  mistaken. 

It  was  manifestly  the  place  where  Sambo  had  effected 
his  passage  over  the  Madeira  with  his  troop,  which  had 
been  largely  increased  on  its  way.  The  truth  was  that  the 
Indians  of  the  mountains  and  the  plains,  who  had  been 
impatiently  expecting  the  success  of  their  insurrection,  now 
learned  that  it  had  miscarried  through  treachery;  burning 
with  rage,  and  finding  that  there  was  a  victim  on  whom  to 
vent  their  wrath,  they  had  joined  themselves  to  the  old 
Indian's  retinue. 

The  young  girl  had  little  consciousness  of  what  was  go- 


UNITED  IN  DEATH  155 

ing  on  around  her.  She  went  forwards  because  there  w^ere 
hands  that  urged  her  forwards,.  Had  they  left  her  in  the 
middle  of  the  wilderness  she  would  not  have  stirred  a  step 
to  escape  death.  The  memory  of  the  young  Indian  would 
now  and  then  flit  across  her  mind,  yet  she  was  little  other- 
wise than  an  inanimate  burden  upon  the  neck  of  the  mule 
that  carried  her.  Beyond  the  river,  when  two  of  the  men 
dragged  her  along  on  foot,  she  left  a  trace  of  blood,  marking 
every  spot  on  which  she  trod. 

It  did  not  occur  to  Sambo,  and  therefore  gave  him  no 
uneasiness,  that  the  dotted  crimson  streak  was  an  index  to 
point  out  the  way  they  went.  He  was  approaching  the  limit 
of  his  flight,  and  soon  the  rushing  cataracts  of  the  river  were 
heard  with  their  deafening  roar. 

The  party  halted  at  an  insignificant  village,  comprising 
about  a  hundred  huts,  made  of  canes  and  clay.  As  they 
entered,  a  multitude  of  women  and  children  greeted  them 
with  boisterous  acclamations;  but  all  their  delight  was 
changed  to  rage  as  soon  as  they  heard  of  the  supposed  treach- 
ery of  Martin  Paz. 

Without  quailing  in  any  way  before  her  enemies,  Sarah 
surveyed  them  with  a  languid  gaze.  Though  they  insulted 
her  with  the  vilest  gestures,  and  assailed  her  ears  with 
obloquy  and  savage  threats,  she  was  passive  and  unmoved. 

"Where  is  my  husband?"  demanded  one  of  the  angry 
crones ;  "  he  has  been  killed  through  you." 

"  My  brother  too,"  added  another,  "  he  has  not  come  back 
again ;  my  brother  has  lost  his  life  for  you !  " 

Then  the  general  chorus  rose  aloud,  "  Die !  you  shall  die ! 
and  your  flesh  shall  be  given  piecemeal  to  us  all!  " 

And  as  they  shouted,  they  brandished  their  knives  aloft, 
waved  torches  of  burning  fire,  took  up  stones  of  prodigious 
weight,  and  heaped  repeated  menaces  on  her  head. 

"  Stop!  "  cried  Sambo,  "  let  us  hear  the  judgment  of  the 
chiefs!" 

In  obedience  to  his  order  they  stayed  their  demonstrations 
of  revenge,  and  contented  themselves  with  casting  angry 
glances  at  the  girl,  who  had  sunk  down  for  rest,  bespattered 
as  she  was  with  blood,  upon  the  stony  margin  of  the  stream. 

Just  below  the  village,  the  Rio  Madeira,  after  being  pent 
up  between  narrow  confines,  made  its  escape  in  a  roaring 
cataract,  which  precipitated  itself  in  a  mighty  volume  to  a 


156  THE    PEARL    OF   LIMA 

depth  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  The  sentence  passed 
on  Sarah  was  that  she  should  be  cast  into  the  flood  imme- 
diately above  the  point  from  which  the  rapid  made  its 
start.  At  the  first  dawn  of  morning  she  was  to  be  tied  to 
a  canoe  of  bark,  and  left  to  the  mercy  of  the  current  of  the 
Madeira. 

That  the  execution  of  the  sentence  was  deferred  till  the 
morrow,  was  not  for  the  purpose  of  giving  respite  to  the 
condemned  victim,  but  only  that  she  might  be  reserved  for 
a  niglit  of  terror  and  alarm. 

The  publication  of  the  verdict  was  a  signal  for  universal 
joy,  and  a  frantic  outburst  of  delight  spread  all  around. 

The  night  was  spent  in  the  wildest  orgies.  The  Indians 
became  intoxicated  with  their  draughts  of  burning  brandy; 
they  danced  in  derisive  revelry  around  the  passive  girl; 
they  rushed  about  with  disheveled  hair,  and  scoured  the 
wilderness  around,  waving  aloft  great  flaming  pine-branches. 
Thus  they  continued  till  the  early  twilight  of  the  morning; 
and  thus,  with  yet  frantic  frenzy,  they  saluted  the  first  rays 
pf  the  rising  sun. 

The  fatal  hour  arrived,  and  no  sooner  was  the  girl 
liberated  from  the  stake  to  which  she  had  been  secured, 
than  a  hundred  arms  were  voluntarily  outstretched  to  bear 
her  to  the  scene  of  punishment.  The  name  of  Martin  Paz 
escaped  her  lips,  and  the  outcry  of  hatred  and  revenge 
waxed  louder  than  before.  In  order  to  reach  the  highest 
level  of  the  stream,  they  had  to  clamber  by  the  roughest 
paths  up  the  rocks  that  overhung  the  bed  of  the  river,  so 
that  when  she  arrived  Sarah  was  besprinkled  once  again 
with  blood.  They  found  the  bark  canoe  in  readiness  at 
about  a  hundred  yards  above  the  waterfall,  and  having 
laid  their  prisoner  down  they  lashed  her  in  her  place  with 
cords  that  cut  deeply  into  her  very  flesh. 

The  cry  of  the  multitude  went  up  as  the  cry  of  one  man — 
"  Vengeance !  " 

Whirling  round  and  round,  the  canoe  was  carried  rapidly 
along.  At  this  moment,  upon  the  opposite  bank,  were  seen 
two  men,  Martin  Paz  and  Don  Vegal. 

"  My  daughter !  my  daughter !  "  shouted  the  father  as  he 
fell  upon  his  knees. 

The  canoe  swept  onwards  nearer  to  the  fall.  Mounted 
upon  a  rock,  Martin  Paz  unwound  his  long  lasso,  which 


UNITED  IN  DEATH  157 

whistled  round  his  head,  and  at  the  very  instant  when  the 
canoe  was  being  sucked  into  the  eddy  of  the  cataract,  the 
long  leather  lash  was  uncoiled,  and  caught  the  canoe  in  its 
sliding  noose. 

"  Death  and  destruction! "  howled  the  horde  of  Indians, 
beside  themselves  with  rage. 

Martin  Paz  raised  his  tall  figure  to  its  fullest  height,  and 
gently  drew  the  canoe,  which  had  been  hovering  over  the 
abyss,  nearer  and  nearer  to  himself. 

Suddenly  an  arrow  came  whizzing  through  the  air,  and 
Martin  Paz,  falling  forwards  into  the  frail  bark  that  carried 
Sarah,  was  swallowed  up  with  her  in  the  whirlpool  of  the 
cataract.  Within  a  moment  another  arrow  had  pierced  Don 
Vegal's  heart. 

It  was  bliss  to  Sarah  to  know  that  she  and  Martin  Paz 
were  joined  in  eternal  nuptials,  and  the  last  thouglit  of  the 
maiden  was  that  he  was  thus  baptized  into  the  faith  which 
in  her  heart  she  loved. 


THE   END 


The  Mutineers 

OR 

A  Tragedy  of  Mexico 


The  Mutineers 

CHAPTER   I 

FROM  GUAJAN  TO  ACAPULCO 

N  the  1 8th  of  October,  1825,  the  Asia,  a  higK- 
built  Spanish  ship,  and  the  Constanzia,  a  brig 
of  eighteen  guns,  cast  anchor  off  the  island  of 
Guajan,  one  of  the  Mariannas.  The  crews  of 
these  vessels,  badly-fed,  ill-paid,  and  harassed 
with  fatigue  during  the  six  months  occupied 
by  their  passage  from  Spain,  had  been  secretly  plotting  a 
mutiny. 

The  spirit  of  insubordination  more  especially  exhibited 
itself  on  board  the  Constanzia,  commanded  by  Captain  Don 
Orteva,  a  man  of  iron  will,  whom  nothing  could  bend.  The 
brig  had  been  impeded  in  her  progress  by  several  serious 
accidents,  so  unforseen  that  they  could  alone,  it  was  evident, 
have  been  caused  by  intentional  malice.  The  Asia,  com- 
manded by  Don  Roque  de  Guzuarte,  had  been  compelled 
consequently  to  put  into  port  with  her.  One  night  the 
compass  was  broken,  no  one  knew  how;  on  another  the 
shrouds  of  the  foremast  gave  way  as  if  they  had  been  cut, 
and  the  mast  with  all  its  rigging  fell  over  the  side.  Lastly, 
during  important  maneuvers,  on  two  occasions  the  rudder- 
ropes  broke  in  the  most  unaccountable  manner. 

Don  Orteva  had  especially  to  keep  an  eye  on  two  men 
of  his  crew — his  lieutenant  Martinez  and  Jose  the  captain  of 
the  maintop.  Lieutenant  Martinez,  who  had  already  com- 
promised his  character  as  an  officer  by  joining  in  the  cabals 
of  the  forecastle,  had  in  consequence  been  several  times 
under  arrest,  and  during  his  imprisonment,  the  midshipman 
Pablo  had  done  duty  as  lieutenant  of  the  Constanzia. 

Young  Pablo  was  one  of  those  gallant  natures  whose 
generosity  prompts  them  to  dare  anything.  He  was  an 
orphan  who,  saved  and  brought  up  by  Captain  Orteva,  would 
readily  have  given  his  life  for  that  of  his  benefactor. 

The  evening  before  they  were  to  leave  Guajan,  Lieutenant 
Martinez  went  to  a  low  tavern,  where  he  met  several  petty 
officers,  and  seamen  of  both  ships. 

161 


i62  THE    MUTINEERS 

"  Comrades !  "  exclaimed  Martinez,  "  thanks  to  the  acci- 
dents which  so  opportunely  happened,  the  ship  and  the  brig 
were  compelled  to  put  into  port,  and  I  have  been  enabled  to 
come  here  that  I  might  discuss  secretly  with  you  some  im- 
portant matters !  " 

"  Bravo !  "  replied  the  party  of  men,  with  one  voice. 

*'  Speak,  lieutenant,"  exclaimed  several  of  the  sailors, 
"  and  let  us  hear  your  plans." 

"  This  is  my  scheme,"  answered  Martinez.  "  As  soon  as 
we  shall  have  made  ourselves  masters  of  the  two  vessels,  we 
will  steer  a  course  for  the  coast  of  Mexico.  You  must  know 
that  the  new  Confederation  possesses  no  ships  of  war;  she 
will,  therefore,  be  eager  to  buy  our  ships  without  asking 
questions,  and  not  only  shall  we  regularly  receive  our  pay 
for  the  future,  but  the  price  we  obtain  for  Ihe  ships  will  be 
fairly  divided  among  us." 

"Agreed!" 

"And  what  shall  be  the  signal  for  acting  in  concert  on 
board  the  two  ships  ?  "  asked  Jose  the  topman. 

"  A  rocket  fired  from  the  Asia,"  answered  Martinez ; 
"  that  shall  be  the  moment  for  action.  We  are  ten  to  one, 
and  the  officers  of  the  ship  and  the  brig  will  be  made  prison- 
ers before  they  will  have  time  to  know  what  is  happening." 

"  When  shall  we  look  out  for  the  signal  ?  "  asked  one 
of  the  boatswain's  mates  of  the  Constanzia. 

"  In  a  few  days  hence,  when  we  shall  be  off  the  island  of 
Mindanao." 

"  But  the  Mexicans,  will  they  not  receive  our  ships  with' 
cannon  shots?"  inquired  Jose  in  a  hesitating  tone.  "  If  I 
mistake  not,  the  Confederation  has  issued  a  decree  to  pro- 
hibit any  Spanish  ships  from  entering  her  harbors,  and 
instead  of  gold  it  will  be  iron  and  lead  they  will  be  sending 
on  board  us !  " 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself  about  that,  Jose.  We  will  let 
them  know  who  we  are  from  a  distance,"  answered 
Martinez. 

"  How  is  that  to  be  done?  " 

"  By  hoisting  the  Mexican  colors  at  the  gaffs  of  our 
ships;"  and  saying  this.  Lieutenant  Martinez  displayed  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  the  mutineers,  a  green,  white,  and  red  flag. 

The  exhibition  of  this  emblem  of  Mexican  independence 
was  rceived  with  gloomy  silence. 


GUAjAN  TO  ACAPULCO  163 

"Do  you  already  regret  the  flag  of  Spain?"  cried  the 
lieutenant  in  a  mocking  tone.  "  Very  well,  let  those  who 
feel  such  regrets  at  once  separate  from  us,  and  pleasantly 
continue  the  voyage  under  the  orders  of  Captain  Don  Roque, 
or  Commander  Don  Orteva.  As  for  us,  who  do  not  wish 
any  longer  to  obey  them,  we  shall  soon  find  the  means  of 
rendering  them  helpless." 

"  We'll  stick  by  you,"  cried  the  whole  party  with  one 
accord. 

During  this  time  Don  Orteva  was  sadly  troubled  with 
sinister  forebodings.  He  was  well  aware  how  completely 
fallen  was  the  Spanish  navy;  that  insubordination  had 
greatly  contributed  to  its  destruction.  On  the  other  hand 
his  patriotism  would  not  allow  him  to  reflect  calmly  on  the 
successive  reverses  which  had  overtaken  his  country,  to 
which,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  the  revolt  of  the  Mexican  States 
had  put  the  finishing  stroke.  He  was  frequently  in  the  habit 
of  conversing  with  the  midshipman  Pablo  on  these  serious 
matters,  and  he  especially  took  a  satisfaction  in  talking  to 
him  of  the  former  supremacy  of  the  Spanish  navy  in  every 
part  of  the  ocean. 

"  My  boy,"  said  he  one  day,  "  we  have  no  longer  dis- 
cipline among  our  sailors.  There  are,  especially,  signs  of 
mutiny  on  board  this  vessel;  and  it  is  possible — indeed  I 
have  a  foreboding — that  some  abominable  treason  will  de- 
prive me  of  life!  But  you  will  avenge  me,  will  you  not? 
You  will  at  the  same  time  avenge  Spain;  for  will  not  the 
blow  which  strikes  me,  be  really  aimed  at  her?  " 
I  swear  it.  Captain  Orteva !  "  answered  Pablo. 
Do  not  make  yourself  the  enemy  of  anyone  on  board  the 
brig,  but  remember  when  the  day  comes,  my  boy — that  un- 
happy time — the  best  mode  of  serving  one's  country  is  first 
to  watch,  and  then  to  chastise,  the  wretched  beings  who 
would  betray  her." 

*'  I  promise  you  that  I  will  die! "  answered  the  midship- 
man, "  yes,  that  I  will  die,  should  it  be  necessary,  to  punish 
the  traitors ! " 

Pablo  went  below.  Martinez  remained  alone  on  the  poop 
and  turned  his  eyes  toward  the  Asia,  which  was  sailing  to 
leeward  of  the  brig.  The  evening  was  magnificent,  and 
presaged  one  of  those  lovely  nights  in  the  tropics  which  are 
both  fresh  and  calm. 


t( 


i64  THE   MUTINEERS 

The  lieutenant  endeavored  to  ascertain  in  the  gloom  who 
were  the  men  on  watch.  He  recognized  Jose  and  those 
sailors  with  whom  he  had  held  the  meeting  at  the  island  of 
Guajan.  Martinez  immediately  approached  the  man  at  the 
helm.  He  spoke  two  words  to  him  in  a  low  voice,  and  that 
was  all.  But  it  might  have  been  observed  that  the  helm  was 
put  a  little  more  a-weather  than  before,  so  that  the  brig 
sensibly  drew  nearer  the  larger  ship. 

Contrary  to  the  usual  custom  on  board  ship,  Martinez 
paced  up  and  down  on  the  lee  side,  in  order  that  he  might 
obtain  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  Asia.  Restless  and 
agitated,  he  kept  turning  a  speaking-trumpet  round  and 
round  in  his  hand. 

Suddenly  a  report  was  heard  on  board  the  ship. 

At  this  signal  Martinez  leaped  on  to  the  hammock- 
nettings,  and  in  a  loud  voice,  "  All  hands  on  deck !  "  he  cried. 
"  Brail  up  the  courses !  " 

At  that  moment  Don  Orteva,  followed  by  his  officers,  came 
out  of  his  cabin,  and  addressing  himself  to  the  lieutenant, 
"  Why  was  that  order  given?  " 

At  this  moment  some  fresh  reports  were  heard  from  on 
board  the  Asia. 

Don  Orteva,  turning  to  the  few  men  who  remained  near 
him,  "  Stand  by  me,  my  brave  lads !  "  he  cried.  And  advanc- 
ing towards  Martinez,  "  Seize  that  officer!  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Death  to  the  commander !  "  replied  Martinez. 

Pablo  and  two  officers  drew  their  swords  and  held  their 
pistols  in  their  hands.  Some  seamen,  led  by  the  honest 
boatswain  Jacopo,  were  rushing  to  their  support,  but,  quickly 
stopped  by  the  mutineers,  were  disarmed  and  rendered  in- 
capable of  giving  assistance. 

The  marines  and  the  crew,  drawn  up  across  the  entire 
width  of  the  deck,  advanced  towards  their  officers.  The 
men  who  had  remained  staunch  to  their  duty,  driven  into 
a  corner  of  the  poop,  had  but  one  course  to  take — it  was 
to  throw  themselves  on  the  mutineers.  Don  Orteva  pointed 
the  muzzle  of  his  pistol  at  Martinez. 

At  that  moment  a  rocket  was  seen  to  rise  from  the  deck 
of  the  Asia. 

"  Our  friends  have  succeeded !  "  cried  Martinez. 

The  bullet  from  Don  Orteva's  pistol  was  lost  in  space. 
The  captain  crossed  swords  with  the  lieutenant,  but,  over- 


GUAJAN  TO  ACAPULCO  165 

whelmed  by  numbers  and  severely  wounded,  he  was  borne  to 
the  deck.     His  officers  in  a  few  seconds  shared  his  fate. 

Bkie  lights  were  now  let  off  in  the  rigging  of  the  brig, 
and  replied  to  by  others  from  the  Asia.  The  mutiny  had 
at  the  same  moment  broken  out  and  proved  triumphant 
on  board  the  ship.  Lieutenant  Martinez  was  master  of  the 
Constanzia,  and  his  prisoners  were  thrust  pell  mell  into  the 
main  cabin. 

*'  To  the  yard-arm  with  them ! "  shouted  several  of  the 
most  savage. 

"  Trice  them  up,  trice  them  up !     Dead  men  tell  no  tales !  " 

Lieutenant  Martinez,  at  the  head  of  these  bloodthirsty 
mutineers,  was  rushing  towards  the  main  cabin,  but  the  rest 
of  the  crew  strongly  objected  to  so  cruel  a  massacre,  and  the 
officers  were  saved. 

"  Bring  Don  Orteva  up  on  deck,"  cried  Martinez. 

His  orders  were  obeyed;  and  the  captain  was  bound  to 
the  rail  of  the  brig,  concealed  by  the  mainsail.  While  there 
he  was  heard  to  shout  out  to  his  lieutenant,  "  Oh,  you 
scoundrel !     You  base  traitor !  " 

Martinez,  losing  all  control  over  himself,  leaped  on  the 
poop  with  an  axe  in  his  hand.  Being  prevented  from  reach- 
ing the  captain,  with  a  single  vigorous  stroke  he  cut  the  main 
sheet.  The  main  boom,  forced  violently  by  the  wind,  struck 
the  hapless  Don  Orteva  on  the  head,  and  he  fell  lifeless  on 
the  deck. 

A  cry  of  horror  rose  from  the  crew  of  the  brig. 

**  His  death  was  accidental ! "  exclaimed  Lieutenant 
Martinez.     "Heave  the  body  overboard!" 

The  two  vessels,  keeping  close  together,  ran  towards  the 
coast  of  Mexico.  The  next  morning  an  island  was  seen 
abeam.  The  boats  of  the  Asia  and  Constanjsia  were  lowered, 
and  the  officers,  with  the  exception  of  the  midshipman  Pablo 
and  Jacopo  the  boatswain,  who  had  both  submitted  to 
Martinez,  were  landed  on  its  desert  shore.  But  a  few  days 
subsequently  they  were  all  happily  taken  off  by  an  English 
whaler  and  conveyed  to  Manilla. 

Some  weeks  after  the  events  which  have  been  described, 
the  two  vessels  anchored  in  the  Bay  of  Monterey,  on  the 
coast  of  Old  California.  Martinez,  going  on  shore,  in- 
formed the  military  governor  of  the  port  of  his  intentions. 
He  offered  to  carry  to  Mexico  the  two  Spanish  vessels  with 


i66  THE   MUTINEERS 

their  stores  and  guns,  and  to  place  their  crews  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  Confederation.  In  return,  all  he  asked  was  that 
the  Mexican  government  should  pay  the  whole  of  the  wages 
due  to  them  since  they  quitted  Spain. 

In  reply  to  these  overtures,  the  governor  said  that  he  had 
not  sufficient  authority  to  treat  with  him.  He  recommended 
Martinez  to  sail  for  Mexico,  where  he  could  himself  easily 
settle  the  matter.  The  lieutenant  followed  this  advice,  and 
leaving  the  Asia  at  Monterey,  after  a  month  devoted  to 
pleasure  on  shore,  he  again  sailed  in  the  Constanzia.  Pablo, 
Jacopo,  and  Jose  formed  part  of  the  crew  of  the  brig,  which 
with  a  fair  wind  under  all  sail,  made  the  best  of  her  way  for 
the  port  of  Acapulco. 


CHAPTER  II 

FROM  ACAPULCO  TO  CIGUALAN 

Of  the  four  ports  which  Mexico  possesses  on  the  side  of 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  namely,  San  Bias,  Zacatula,  Tehuantepec, 
and  Acapulco,  the  last  offers  the  greatest  accommodation  to 
shipping.  The  town,  it  is  true,  is  badly  built  and  unhealthy, 
but  the  anchorage  is  secure,  and  the  harbor  can  easily  con- 
tain a  hundred  vessels.  Lofty  cliffs  shelter  the  ships  at  an- 
chor from  every  wind,  and  form  so  tranquil  a  basin,  that  a 
stranger  arriving  by  land  looks  down  upon  what  he  may  sup- 
pose to  be  a  lake  surrounded  by  mountains. 

Acapulco  was  at  this  time  protected  by  three  forts  flank- 
ing it  on  the  right  side,  while  the  entrance  was  defended  by 
a  battery  of  seven  guns  which  could,  when  necessary,  cross 
their  fire  at  a  right  angle  with  those  of  Fort  San  Diego. 
That  fort,  armed  with  thirty  pieces  of  artillery,  completely 
commanded  the  harbor,  and  would  inevitably  have  sent  to  the 
bottom  any  craft  which  might  have  attempted  to  force  an 
entrance  into  the  port. 

The  town  had  therefore  nothing  to  fear,  notwithstanding 
which,  a  universal  panic  seized  the  inhabitants  three  months 
after  the  events  which  have  just  been  related. 

It  happened  thus:  A  ship  was  signaled  approaching  the 
port.  So  completely  did  the  people  of  Acapulco  doubt  the 
intentions  of  the  stranger,  that  nothing  would  make  them 
believe  that  she  came  as  a  friend.    That  which  the  new 


ACAPULCO    TO    CIGUALAN  167 

Confederation  mostly  feared,  and  not  without  reason,  was  to 
be  again  brought  under  the  dominion  of  Spain.  This  was 
because,  notwithstanding  that  a  treaty  of  commerce  had  been 
signed  with  Great  Britain,  and  a  charge  d'affaires  had  ar- 
rived from  London,  which  court  had  acknowledged  the  Re- 
public, the  Mexican  Government  did  not  possess  a  single 
ship  to  protect  their  coast.  However  that  might  be,  the 
strange  vessel  was  evidently  some  hardy  adventurer,  which 
the  northwesterly  gales,  blustering  on  their  shores  from  the 
autumnal  equinox  to  the  spring,  had  probably  driven  hither 
with  shivered  canvas. 

If  this  was  not  the  case,  the  people  of  Acapulco  could  not 
tell  what  to  think,  and  at  all  events  they  were  making  every 
possible  preparation  to  resist  the  expected  attack  of  the 
stranger,  when  the  suspicious  vessel  ran  up  to  her  peak  the 
flag  of  Mexican  independence ! 

Having  got  to  about  half  cannon-shot  from  the  port,  the 
Constanzia,  whose  name  could  be  clearly  read  on  her  counter, 
suddenly  came  to  an  anchor,  her  sails  were  furled,  and  a 
boat,  which  was  at  once  lowered,  pulled  rapidly  towards 
the  harbor. 

Lieutenant  Martinez,  having  disembarked  from  her,  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  governor,  to  whom  he  explained  the  cir- 
cumstances which  brought  him  to  the  place.  The  latter 
highly  approved  of  the  resolution  taken  by  the  lieutenant  to 
join  the  Mexicans,  and  assured  him  that  General  Guadalupe, 
President  of  the  Confederation,  would  certainly  agree  to 
purchase  the  two  vessels. 

No  sooner  was  the  news  known  in  the  town  than  the 
people  broke  out  into  transports  of  joy.  The  whole  popula- 
tion turned  out  to  admire  the  first  vessel  of  the  Mexican 
navy,  and  saw  in  their  new  possession,  with  this  proof  of 
the  disorganization  prevailing  in  the  Spanish  service,  the 
means  of  more  completely  defeating  all  fresh  attempts  which 
might  be  made  by  their  former  and  much  hated  oppressors 
to  overcome  them. 

Martinez  returned  on  board  the  brig.  Some  hours  after- 
wards the  Constanz'm  was  anchored  in  the  port,  and  her  crew 
were  quartered  among  the  inhabitants  of  Acapulco.  When, 
however,  Martinez  called  over  the  roll  of  his  followers, 
neither  Pablo  nor  Jacopo  answered  to  their  names.  They 
had  both  disappeared ! 


i68  THE    MUTINEERS 

The  following  day  two  horsemen  set  out  from  Acapulco 
on  the  deserted  and  mountainous  road  for  Mexico  City. 
The  horsemen  were  Martinez  and  Jose.  The  sailor  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  road.  He  had  on  numerous  occasions 
climbed  these  mountains  of  Anahuac.  So  well  did  he  know 
it,  that  although  an  Indian  guide  had  offered  his  services 
they  had  been  declined. 

"  Let  us  ride  faster !  "  said  Martinez,  sticking  his  spurs 
into  his  horse's  flanks.  "  I  have  my  doubts  about  this  dis- 
appearance of  Pablo  and  Jacopo.  Can  they  mean  to  make 
the  bargain  for  themselves,  and  rob  us  of  our  shares?  " 

"  By  St.  Jago  1  they  won't  be  very  far  wrong  there," 
sulkily  repiled  the  seaman.  "  It  will  be  a  case  of  thieves  rob- 
bing thieves,  such  as  we  are." 

"  How  many  days  will  it  take  us  to  reach  Mexico?  " 

"  Four  or  five,  lieutenant — a  mere  walk ;  but  not  so  fast ; 
you  surely  see  what  a  steep  hill  there  is  before  us." 

In  reality  they  had  reached  the  first  slopes  which  form 
the  sides  of  the  mountains  rising  above  the  wide  plains. 

"  Our  horses  are  not  shod,"  said  the  seaman,  pulling  up, 
"  and  their  hoofs  will  soon  be  worn  out  on  these  granite 
rocks." 

"  Let  us  push  on,"  exclaimed  Martinez,  setting  the  ex- 
ample. "  Our  horses  come  from  the  farms  of  Southern 
Mexico,  and  in  their  journeys  across  the  Savannahs  they  are 
unaccustomed  to  these  inequalities  in  the  ground.  Let  us 
profit  therefore  by  the  evenness  of  the  road,  and  make  the 
best  of  our  way  out  of  these  vast  solitudes,  which  are  not 
formed  to  put  us  in  good  spirits." 

"  Does  Lieutenant  Martinez  feel  any  remorse-?  "  asked 
Jose,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"Remorse!  No." 

Martinez  fell  back  into  perfect  silence,  and  the  two 
travelers  made  their  steeds  move  on  at  a  rapid  trot..  The 
sun  had  sunk  beneath  the  horizon  when  they  reached  the 
village  of  Cigualan.  The  village  is  composed  of  a  few  huts 
inhabited  by  poor  Indians,  who  are  generally  known  as  tame 
Indians — that  is  to  say,  they  cultivate  the  soil. 

The  two  Spaniards  were  received  with  but  scant  hos- 
pitality. The  Indians  recognized  them  as  belonging  to  the 
nation  of  their  ancient  oppressors,  and  showed  themselves 
but  little  inclined  to  render  them  assistance.     This  was  in 


ACAPULCO    TO    CIGUALAN  169 

consequence  of  the  fact,  that  two  other  travelers  had  a  short 
time  before  passed  through  the  village,  and  had  laid  violent 
hands  on  the  small  amount  of  available  food  which  they 
could  discover.  The  lieutenant  and  his  comrade  paid  no 
attention  to  these  circumstances,  which  indeed  appeared  to 
them  nothing  extraordinary. 

In  a  short  time  they  secured  food,  and  dined,  as  men  do 
after  a  long  journey,  with  sharp  appetites.  The  repast 
finished,  they  stretched  themselves  on  the  ground  with  their 
daggers  in  their  hands ;  they  then,  notwithstanding  the  hard- 
ness of  their  couches,  and  the  incessant  biting  of  the  mos- 
quitos,  overcome  by  fatigue,  quickly  fell  asleep. 

During  the  night  Martinez  frequently  started  up  and,  in 
an  agitated  voice,  repeated  the  names  of  Jacopo  and  Pablo, 
whose  disappearance  so  completely  occupied  his  mind. 


CHAPTER  III 

FROM   CIGUALAN   TO   CUERNAVACA 

The  next  morning  at  daybreak,  the  horses  were  saddled 
and  bridled.  The  travelers,  taking  a  worn-away  path  which 
wound  like  a  serpent  before  them,  directed  their  course 
towards  the  east,  where  the  sun  was  just  then  seen  ascend- 
ing above  the  mountain  tops. 

"When  shall  we  get  over  the  mountains,  Jose?" 

"  By  to-morrow  evening,  lieutenant,  and  from  their  sum- 
mit— although  too  far  off  it  is  true — we  shall  perceive  the 
end  of  our  journey,  that  golden  town  of  Mexico.  Do  you 
know  what  I  am  thinking  of,  lieutenant?  " 

Martinez  did  not  reply. 

"  I  ask  myself  what  can  have  become  of  the  officers  of 
the  ship  and  brig  which  we  abandoned  on  the  desert  island." 

Martinez  trembled.  "  I  do  not  know,"  he  answered 
sullenly. 

"  I  most  heartily  hope  that  all  those  great  persons  have  died 
of  hunger,"  continued  Jose,  "  or  perhaps  when  we  landed 
them,  some  of  them  may  have  tumbled  into  the  sea,  and  there 
is  on  those  shores  a  kind  of  shark — the  tintorea,  who 
never  lets  anybody  escape  him.  Holy  Mary !  should  Captain 
Don  Orteva  have  come  to  life  he  may  have  the  chance  of 
being  swallowed  up  by  a  fish.     But,  happily,  his  head  was 


lyo  THE    MUTINEERS 

struck  by  the  mainboom,  and  by  the  noise  it  made  must  have 
been  completely  crushed." 

"  Hold  your  tongue !  "  replied  Martinez. 

The  sailor  rode  on  with  closed  mouth.  "  See  what  cur- 
ious scruples  this  man  has,"  said  Jose  to  himself;  he  then 
added  in  his  usual  voice,  "  On  my  return  I  shall  settle  down 
in  this  charming  country  of  Mexico,  where  one  can  enjoy, 
without  stint,  these  beautiful  ananas  and  bananas,  and  where 
one  can  eat  off  plates  of  gold  and  silver." 

"  Was  it  for  this  you  mutinied?  "  asked  Martinez. 

"Why  not,  lieutenant?  it  was  an  affair  of  dollars." 

"  Ah  !  "  exclaimed  Martinez  with  disgust. 

"And  you,  why  did  you  mutiny?  "  inquired  Jose. 

"  I !  It  was  an  affair  of  wounded  honor.  The  lieutenant 
wished  to  be  revenged  on  his  captain." 

"  Ah !  "  exclaimed  Jose  with  contempt. 

There  was  not  much  difference  between  these  two  men 
whatever  were  their  motives. 

"  Hold !  "  cried  Martinez,  pulling  up  short,  "  what  do  I 
see  down  there?  " 

Jose  rode  towards  the  edge  of  the  cliff  ."  I  can  see  no 
one,"  he  replied. 

"  I  saw  a  man  suddenly  disappear,"  repeated  Martinez. 

"  Imagination ! " 

"  I  did  see  him,"  replied  the  lieutenant  impatiently. 

"  Very  well,  look  for  him  at  your  leisure,"  and  Jose  con- 
tinued to  ride  on. 

Martinez  proceeded  towards  a  clump  of  mangroves,  the 
branches  of  which,  taking  root  as  they  touched  the  ground, 
formed  an  impenetrable  thicket.  The  lieutenant  dismounted. 
It  was  a  perfect  solitude.  Suddenly  he  perceived  a  spiral 
form  moving  about  in  the  shade.  It  was  a  small  species  of 
serpent,  the  head  held  fast  under  a  piece  of  rock,  while  the 
hinder  part  twisted  about  as  if  it  had  been  galvanized. 

"  There  has  been  someone  here,"  cried  the  lieutenant. 
Guilty  and  superstitious,  he  looked  around  in  every  direc- 
tion. He  began  to  tremble.  "  Who,  who  can  they  be  ?"  he 
murmured. 

"  Well!  what  is  the  matter?  "  asked  Jose,  who  had  now 
rejoined  him. 

"  It  is  nothing,"  answered  Martinez ;  "  let  us  go  on. 

The  evening  approached.     Martinez  followed  some  paces 


>» 


CIGUALAN    TO    CUERNAVACA  171 

behind  his  guide  Jose,  and  the  latter,  not  without  difficulty, 
found  his  way  in  the  midst  of  the  increasing  darkness. 

Looking  out  for  a  practicable  path,  swearing  now  at  a 
stump  against  which  he  ran,  now  at  the  branch  of  a  tree 
which  struck  him,  threatening  to  put  out  the  excellent  cigar 
he  was  smoking,  the  lieutenant  let  his  horse  follow  that  of 
his  companion.  Useless  remorse  agitated  him,  and  he  gave 
himself  up  to  the  melancholy  forebodings  with  which  he  was 
oppressed. 

The  night  had  now  completely  set  in.  The  travelers 
pushed  forward.  They  traversed  without  stopping,  the  little 
villages  of  Contepec  and  Iguala,  and  at  length  arrived  at 
the  town  of  Tasco.  Here,  little  as  they  relished  their  food, 
their  hunger  was  satisfied,  and  fatigue  made  even  Martinez 
and  Jose  sleep  until  an  hour  after  sunrise  the  next  morning. 

The  lieutenant  was  the  first  to  awake.  "Let  us  start, 
Jose,"  he  cried  out. 

The  two  Spaniards  hastened  to  the  stable,  ordered  their 
horses  to  be  saddled,  filled  their  saddle-bags  with  cakes  of 
maize,  grenadas,  and  dried  meat,  for  among  the  mountains 
they  would  run  a  great  risk  of  finding  nothing  to  eat.  The 
bill  paid,  they  mounted  their  beasts  and  took  the  road  once 
more. 

"  Have  we  nothing  to  fear  among  these  solitudes?  "  asked 
Martinez. 

"  Nothing,  excepting  it  may  be  a  Mexican  dagger !  " 

"  That  is  true,"  answered  Martinez,  "  the  Indians  of  these 
elevated  regions  are  still  attached  to  the  use  of  the  dagger." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  seaman,  laughing.  "  What  a 
number  of  words  they  have  to  designate  their  favorite 
arm — estoqe,  verdugo,  puna,  anchillo,  beldoque,  navaja. 
The  names  come  as  quickly  to  their  lips  as  the  dagger  does  to 
their  hands.  Very  well !  so  much  the  better.  Holy  Mary! 
at  least  we  shall  not  have  to  fear  those  invisible  balls  from 
long  carbines.  I  do  not  know  anything  more  provoking 
than  not  to  be  able  to  discover  the  wretch  who  has  killed 
one!" 

"Who  are  the  Indians  who  inhabit  these  mountains?" 
asked  Martinez. 

"  Indeed,  lieutenant,  who  can  count  the  different  races 
which  have  mukiplied  so  rapidly  in  this  El  Dorado  of 
Mexico?     Just  consider  the  various  crosses,  which  I  have 


172  THE   MUTINEERS 

studied  carefully,  with  the  intention  of  some  day  making 
an  advantageous  marriage.  We  here  find  the  Mestisa,  born 
of  a  Spaniard  and  an  Indian  woman ;  the  Castisa,  of  a  Cas- 
tilian  woman  and  a  Spaniard;  the  Mulatto,  of  a  Spanish 
woman  and  a  Negro;  the  Monisque,  born  of  a  Mulatto 
woman  and  a  Spaniard ;  the  Albino,  of  a  Monisque  woman 
and  a  Spaniard;  the  Tintinclaire,  of  a  Tornatras  man  and  a 
Spanish  woman;  the  Lovo,  born  of  an  Indian  woman  and  a 
Negro;  the  Caribujo,  of  an  Indian  woman  and  a  Lovo;  the 
Barsino,  born  of  a  Coyote  and  a  Mulatto  woman;  the  Grifo, 
born  of  a  Negress  and  a  Lovo;  the  Albarazado,  born  of  a 
Coyote  and  an  Indian  woman ;  the  Chanesa,  born  of  a  Metis 
and  an  Indian  man;  the  Mechino,  born  of  a  Lovo  and  a 
Coyote!" 

Jose  spoke  the  truth ;  the  mixture  of  races  in  this  country 
causes  wonderful  difficulties  to  anthropological  students. 
Notwithstanding  this  learned  conversation  of  the  seaman, 
Martinez  continually  fell  again  into  his  previous  taciturnity ; 
he  indeed  sometimes  pushed  on  ahead  of  his  companion, 
whose  presence  seemed  to  annoy  him. 

In  a  short  time  two  torrents  crossed  the  road  before  them. 
The  lieutenant  pulled  up  at  the  first,  disappointed  on  seeing 
that  its  bed  was  dry,  for  he  had  reckoned  on  watering  his 
horse  at  it. 

"  Here  we  are,  In  a  fix,  lieutenant,  without  food  and  with- 
out water !  "  exclaimed  Jose.  "  Never  mind ;  follow  me. 
We  will  look  among  these  rocks  and  cliffs  for  the  tree  which 
is  called  the  '  ahuehuelt,'  which  advantageously  takes  the 
place  of  the  wisps  of  straw  which  decorate  the  fronts  of  inns. 
Under  its  shade  one  can  always  enjoy  a  cool  draught,  and, 
in  a  word,  it  is  not  only  what  some  call  water,  but  it  is  the 
wine  of  the  desert." 

The  horsemen  hunted  about,  and  before  long  discovered 
the  tree  in  question,  but  the  promised  fountain  had  been 
emptied,  and  they  discovered  it  must  have  been  visited  only 
a  short  time  previously. 

"  It  Is  singular,"  observed  Jose. 

"  It  is  indeed  singular,"  said  Martinez,  growing  pale. 
"  Let  us  push  forward." 

The  country  now  assumed  an  extremely  rugged  aspect. 
Gigantic  peaks  rose  up  before  them,  their  basaltic  summits 
stopping  the  clouds  wafted  by  the  winds  from  the  Pacific. 


CIGUALAN    TO    CUERNAVACA  173 

Doubling  a  large  rock  there  appeared  high  above  them  the 
Fort  of  Cochicalcho,  built  by  the  ancient  Mexicans  on  a  spot 
elevated  nineteen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
travelers  directed  their  course  towards  the  base  of  this  vast 
cone,  which  was  crowned  by  tottering  rocks  and  crumbling 
ruins. 

After  having  dismounted  and  fastened  their  horses  to 
the  trunk  of  a  tree,  Martinez  and  Jose,  wishing  to  ascertain 
the  direction  of  their  road,  climbed  up  to  the  summit  of  the 
cone,  assisted  by  the  ruggedness  of  the  sides. 

Night  now  coming  on  made  the  outline  of  objects  appear 
very  indistinct,  and  assume  the  most  fantastic  forms.  The 
old  fort  did  not  ill-resemble  an  enormous  bison,  crouching 
down,  its  head  immovable;  but  as  Martinez  looked  at  the 
figure,  his  disordered  imagination  made  him  fancy  that  he 
saw  the  body  of  the  monstrous  animal  move.  He  did  not, 
however,  say  anything  lest  he  should  lay  himself  open  to 
the  railleries  of  the  unscrupulous  Jose.  The  latter  hastily 
made  his  way  round  a  part  of  the  hill,  and  after  he  had  dis- 
appeared for  some  time  behind  some  broken  fragments,  he 
summoned  his  companion  with  the  loudness  of  his  "  Saint 
lagos !  "  and  "  Saint  Marias !  " 

All  of  a  sudden,  an  enormous  night-bird,  uttering  a  hoarse 
shriek,  slowly  rose  on  its  outstretched  wings. 

Martinez  stopped  short;  a  vast  mass  of  rock  was  seen  to 
shake  about  thirty  feet  above  him,  then  a  portion  of  the 
mass  became  detached,  and,  shattering  everything  in  its  pass- 
age with  the  rapidity  of  a  cannon-ball,  came  crashing  down- 
wards, and  was  engulfed  in  the  abyss  below. 

"  Santa  Maria !  "  cried  the  seaman.  "  Hello,  lieutenant, 
what  has  happened?  " 

"Jose!" 

"  Here !  "     The  two  Spaniards  joined  each  other. 

"  What  a  fearful  avalanche  descended  on  us !  "  exclaimed 
the  seaman.  Martinez  followed  him  without  saying  a  word, 
and  the  two  soon  regained  the  lower  plateau. 

Here  a  large  furrow  marked  the  passage  of  the  rock. 

"Santa  Maria!"  exclaimed  Jose.  "Look  here!  Our 
two  horses  have  disappeared — crushed  dead !  " 

"  It  is  too  true !  "  said  Martinez. 

"  See  here !  "  The  tree  to  which  the  two  animals  had  been 
fastened  had  been  indeed  carried  away  with  them. 


174  THE   MUTINEERS 

"  If  we  had  been  under  it! "  philosophically  observed  the 
seaman,  with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulder, 

Martinez  was  seized  with  a  violent  feeling  of  terror. 
"  The  serpent ! — ^the  fountain ! — ^the  avalanche !  "  he  mur- 
mured. 

Then  he  turned  his  haggard  eyes  on  Jose. 

"  How  is  it  that  you  do  not  speak  to  me  of  Captain 
Orteva?  "  he  cried,  his  lips  contracted  with  anger. 

Jose  drew  back.  "  Oh,  do  not  talk  nonsense,  lieutenant ! 
Let  us  give  the  finishing  stroke  to  our  poor  steeds  and  then 
push  on.  It  will  not  do  to  stop  here  while  the  old  mountain 
is  combing  her  hair." 

The  two  Spaniards  proceeded  on  their  road  without  say- 
ing a  word,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night  they  arrived  at 
Cuernavaca ;  but  it  was  impossible  to  procure  horses,  so  the 
next  morning  they  directed  their  course  on  foot  towards  the 
heights  of  Popocatepetl. 

CHAPTER  IV 

FROM  CUERNAVACA  TO  POPOCATEPETL; 

The  temperature  was  cold  and  the  country  was  devoid 
of  vegetation.  These  inaccessible  heights  belonged  to  the 
icy  zones,  known  as  the  cold  territory.  Already  the  fir  trees 
of  the  foggy  regions  showed  their  withered  outlines  among 
the  last  oaks  of  these  lofty  elevations,  and  springs  became 
more  and  more  rare  among  the  rugged  rocks,  consisting 
chiefly  of  porphyry  and  granite. 

After  six  long  hours  the  lieutenant  and  his  companion 
began  to  drag  themselves  forward  with  difficulty,  tearing 
their  hands  against  rough  masses  of  rock,  and  cutting  their 
feet  on  the  sharp  stones  in  their  path.  At  length  fatigue 
compelled  them  to  sit  down.  Jose  occupied  himself  in  pre- 
paring something  to  eat  "  What  a  cursed  idea  not  to  have 
taken  the  ordinary  road !  "  he  murmured. 

They  both,  however,  hoped  to  find  at  Aracopistla — a  vil- 
lage completely  shut  in  among  the  mountains — the  means 
of  transport  to  enable  them  to  reach  the  end  of  their  journey. 
But,  after  all,  they  might  deceive  themselves,  and  meet  with 
the  same  want  of  accommodation  and  hospitality  which  they 
had  encountered  at  Cuernavaca.  They  must,  however,  at 
all  events,  get  there. 


CUERNAVACA  TO  POPOCATEPETL        175 

The  road  was  fearfully  parched  and  dry;  on  every  side 
fathomless  precipices  were  to  be  seen  in  the  sides  of  the 
mountains,  and  rocks  appeared  ready  to  fall  on  the  heads  of 
the  travelers.  To  regain  the  chief  road  it  was  necessary 
to  cross  a  portion  of  these  muontains  at  a  height  of  five 
thousand  four  hundred  feet,  near  a  rock  known  by  the  In- 
dians as  the  "  smoking  rock,"  for  it  still  exhibited  signs  of 
recent  volcanic  action.  Dark  chasms  yawned  on  every  side. 
Since  the  last  journey  of  the  seaman  Jose  some  fresh  out- 
breaks had  completely  changed  the  appearance  of  these 
solitudes,  so  that  he  could  not  recognize  them ;  thus  he  com- 
pletely lost  himself  among  the  inaccessible  cliffs.  He  stopped 
to  listen  to  some  rumbling  sounds  which  came  issuing  forth 
here  and  there  from  the  cliffs. 

**  I  can  do  no  more !  "  at  length  cried  Jose,  sinking  to  the 
ground  with  fatigue. 

"Push  on!"  cried  Martinez  with  feverish  impatience. 

Some  claps  of  thunder  reverberated  amid  the  gorges  of 
Popocatepetl.  "  Now  may  Satan  take  me,  for  I  may  count 
myself  among  the  lost  souls!" 

"  Rise  up  and  push  on,"  roughly  exclaimed  Martinez. 

He  compelled  Jose  to  get  up,  and  the  sailor  stumbled  for- 
ward. "  And  not  a  human  being  to  guide  us,"  murmured 
Jose. 

"  So  much  the  better,"  observed  the  lieutenant  gruffly  as 
he  moved  forward. 

"  You  do  not  know,  then,  that  every  year  a  thousand 
murders  are  committed  in  Mexico,  and  how  many  in  the 
environs  nobody  can  calculate !  "  said  Jose. 

"  So  much  the  better,"  answered  Martinez. 

Large  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall  on  the  rocks  around 
them,  brightened  by  the  last  fading  light  in  the  sky. 

"  The  points  we  lately  saw  so  clearly  around  us,  where 
are  they  now?  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"  Mexico  is  on  the  left,  Puebla  on  the  right,"  replied 
Jose,  "  if  we  could  see  anything,  but  nothing  can  now  be 
distinguished." 

It  became  fearfully  dark.  "  Before  us  should  be  the 
mountain  of  Icetacihualt,  and  in  the  ravine  at  its  base  a  good 
road;  but  what  if  we  should  not  reach  it!  " 

"  Push  on !  "  cried  the  lieutenant. 

The   thunder   claps   were    now    repeated    with    extreme 


176  THE    MUTINEERS 

violence  among  the  mountains.  The  rain  and  the  wind, 
which  had  hitherto  been  silent,  increased  the  loudness  of 
the  echoes.  Jose  went  swearing  on  at  every  step.  Lieuten- 
ant Martinez,  pale  and  silent,  gazed  with  sinister  looks  at  his 
companion,  whom  he  regarded  as  an  accomplice  he  would 
gladly  get  rid  of. 

Suddenly  a  flash  of  lightning  illuminated  the  obscurity. 
The  seaman  and  the  lieutenant  were  on  the  edge  of  an 
abyss. 

Martinez  hurried  up  to  Jose,  and  after  the  last  clap  of 
thunder  he  said  to  him,  "  Jose,  I  am  afraid ! " 

"  Do  you  dread  the  storm?  " 

"  I  do  not  dread  the  storm  in  the  sky,  Jose ;  but  I  fear 
the  storm  which  agitates  my  breast !  " 

"Oh,  you  are  still  thinking  of  Don  Orteva!  Come  on, 
lieutenant!  you  make  me  laugh,"  answered  Jose.  He,  how- 
ever, did  not  laugh,  as  Martinez  surveyed  him  with  his 
haggard  eyes, 

A  terrible  clap  of  thunder  burst  over  them. 

"  Hold  your  tongue !  hold  your  tongue !  "  cried  Martinez, 
who  appeared  to  be  no  longer  master  of  himself. 

"  The  night  is  a  favorable  one  for  preaching  to  me !  " 
replied  the  seaman.  "  H  you  have  any  fear,  lieutenant,  shut 
up  your  eyes  and  your  ears.'* 

*'  It  seems  to  me,"  cried  Martinez,  "  that  I  see  the  captain 
< — Don  Orteva — with  his  head  crushed — there,  there !  " 

A  dark  shadow,  illuminated  the  next  moment  by  a  flash 
of  lightning,  arose  within  twenty  feet  of  the  lieutenant  and 
his  companion. 

At  the  same  instant  Jose  saw  close  to  him  Martinez,  his 
countenance  pale  and  distorted  with  passion,  his  hand  grasp- 
ing a  dagger. 

*'  What  is  there !  "  he  cried  out. 

A  flash  of  lightning  environed  them  both. 

"  What !  Kill  me ! "  cried  Jose.  The  next  moment  he 
fell,  a  corpse,  and  Martinez  fled  in  the  midst  of  the  tempest, 
his  bloody  weapon  in  his  hand. 

A  few  moments  afterwards  two  men  hung  over  the  dead 
body  of  the  seaman,  saying,  "  This  is  one  of  them! " 

Martinez  fled  like  a  madman  across  the  dark  solitudes; 

his  head  uncovered,  regardless  of  the  rain,  which  came  down 

in  torrents. 
y.  I  Verne 


,t  .loV 


i-vi) 


'  every  ster 

iii  acconipi*ce  he  wo  a, 

red  the  obscurii 
on  the  edge  - 


:*  the  last  clap 

.,-4  I  " 


.  but  I  f ea  r- 
Orteva!     Come  oi. 

THE  UPRISING 

Don  Orteva,  turned  to  the  few  men  who  remained  near  him, 
"Stand  by  me,  my  brave  lads !"  he,  cried.  And  advancing  toward 
Martinez,  "Seize  that  officer  !"  he  exclaimed. 

"Death  to  the  commander  !"  replied  Martinez.     *     *     *     * 
The   bullet    from    Don    Orteva' s   pistol   was   lost   in    space.       The 
captain   crossed    swords   with   the    lieutenant,    but,    overwhelmed    by 
numbers  and  severely  wounded,  he  was  borne  to  the  deck. — Page  164. 


there ! 
t  by  : 
•..1  ujc  j-icutenar 

«e  to  him  Mar 


m  the 
his 

A  Is 


Vol.    1, 


.CUERNAVACA  TO  POPOCATEPETL        177 

"  Kill !  kill !  "  he  shrieked  out,  stumbling  over  the  slippery 
rocks. 

Suddenly  he  heard  a  hoarse  sound  in  the  depths  beneath 
his  feet.  He  stopped,  knowing  that  it  was  the  roaring  of  a 
torrent. 

It  was  the  little  river  Ixtolucca,  which  rushed  on  five  hun- 
dred feet  below  him.  Some  paces  off,  over  the  torrent,  was 
thrown  a  bridge  formed  of  ropes.  It  was  secured  on  both 
sides  by  some  piles  driven  into  the  rock.  The  bridge 
oscillated  in  the  wind  like  a  thread  extended  in  space. 

Clinging  to  the  ropes,  Martinez  made  his  way  across  the 
bridge,  and  by  a  great  effort  he  reached  the  opposite  bank. 

There,  a  shadow  rose  before  him. 

Martinez  retreated,  without  saying  a  word,  towards  the 
bank  he  had  just  left. 

There,  another  human  form  appeared. 

Martinez  fell  upon  his  knees  in  the  middle  of  the  bridge, 
his  hands  clasped  in  despair. 

"  Martinez,  I  am  Pablo !  "  said  a  voice. 

"  Martinez,  I  am  Jacopo !  "  said  another  voice. 

"  You  are  a  traitor !     You  shall  die !  " 

"  You  are  a  murderer !     You  shall  die !  " 

Two  loud  blows  were  heard,  the  piles  which  secured  the 
ropes  at  the  extremity  of  the  bridge  fell  beneath  the  ax.  A 
horrible  shriek  rent  the  air,  and  Martinez,  his  hands  ex- 
tended, was  precipitated  into  the  abyss. 

A  league  higher  up,  the  midshipman  and  the  boatswain 
rejoined  each  other,  after  having  passed  by  a  ford  the  river 
Ixtolucca. 

I  have  avenged  Don  Orteva !  "  said  Jacopo. 
And  I,"  replied  Pablo,  "  have  avenged  Spain ! " 

It  was  thus  that  the  navy  of  the  Mexican  Confederation 
had  its  origin.  The  two  Spanish  ships,  delivered  up  by  the 
traitors,  were  taken  possession  of  by  the  new  Republic,  and 
became  the  nucleus  of  that  small  fleet  which  fought  unsuc- 
cessfully for  Texas  and  California,  against  the  fleet  of  the 
United  States  of  America. 


THE  END. 


Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon 


Five  Weeks  in  a  Balloon 


CHAPTER    I 

RECEPTION  OF  DR.   FERGUSON 

N  the  14th  of  January,  1862,  there  was  a  very- 
large  attendance  of  the  members  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London,  3 
Waterloo  Place.  The  President,  Sir  Fran- 
cis M ,  made  an  impromptu  communica- 
tion to  his  colleagues  in  a  speech  frequently 
interrupted  by  applause.  This  rare  specimen  of  oratory 
ended  at  length  with  some  grandiloquent  phrases,  in  which 
patriotism  was  displayed  in  well-rounded  sentences,  thus : 
"  England  has  always  appeared  at  the  head  of  all  other 
nations  in  the  way  of  geographical  discovery.  (Hear, 
hear.)  Doctor  Samuel  Ferguson,  one  of  her  glorious 
children,  will  not  disgrace  the  land  of  his  birth.  (No,  no.) 
If  his  attempt  succeed  (It  will,  it  will!)  it  will  bind  to- 
gether in  a  complete  form  the  isolated  maps  of  the  African 
continent.  If  it  fail  (Never,  never!)  it  will  remain  at 
least  on  record  as  one  of  the  boldest  conceptions  of  the 
human  mind."     (Loud  applause.) 

"  Hurrah,  hurrah ! "  shouted  the  assembly,  quite  elec- 
trified by  these  stirring  words. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  undaunted  Ferguson !  "  cried  one  of 
the  members,  more  enthusiastic  than  the  rest. 

The  enthusiasm  then  rose  to  a  high  pitch.  The  name 
of  Ferguson  was  in  every  mouth,  and  there  is  no  reason  to 
believe  that  it  lost  anything  in  its  emancipation  from  the 
British  throat.     The  whole  assembly  was  in  a  ferment. 

Yet  there  were  present  in  that  assembly  a  number  of 
individuals  grown  old  in  travel :  bold  explorers,  whose 
wandering  disposition  had  led  them  to  all  parts  of  the 
world.  All  of  them,  either  physically  or  morally,  had  es- 
caped shipwreck,  fire,  the  tomahawk  of  the  Indian,  the 
club  of  the  savage,  the  stake,  or  Polynesian  cannibals. 
But  nothing  could  still  the  throbbing  of  their  breasts  dur- 

181 


1 82  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

ing  Sir  F.  M.'s  speech;  it  was  without  doubt  the  greatest 
oratorical  success  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  within 
the  memory  of  man. 

In  England,  enthusiasm  is  not  by  any  means  confined  to 
words.  It  can  produce  money  more  quickly  than  the  ma- 
chinery of  the  Royal  Mint.  A  sum  of  £2,500  was  imme- 
diately voted  and  placed  at  Doctor  Ferguson's  disposal. 
The  subscription  was  in  proportion  to  the  importance  of 
the  undertaking. 

One  of  the  members  of  the  Society  asked  the  President 
.whether  Doctor  Ferguson  might  not  be  officially  presented. 

"  The  doctor  awaits  the  pleasure  of  the  meeting,"  re- 
plied Sir  Francis  M . 

"Let  him  come  in!"  they  cried;  "admit  him!  It  is 
right  that  we  should  become  acquainted  with  a  man  of  such 
extraordinary  daring." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  an  old  apoplectic  commodore,  "  this 
incredible  suggestion  is  nothing  but  a  hoax  after  all." 

"  I  do  not  suppose  that  there  is  any  such  person,"  said 
a  malicious  member. 

"  We  must  invent  him  then,"  replied  a  joking  associate. 

"  Request  Doctor  Ferguson  to  be  good  enough  to  come 
in,"  said  Sir  Francis  M ,  quietly. 

The  doctor  accordingly  made  his  appearance,  and  was 
greeted  with  thunders  of  applause.  He  did  not,  however, 
appear  to  be  in  the  least  elated  by  his  reception.  He  was 
a  man  of  about  forty  years  of  age,  of  no  remarkable  ex- 
terior. His  sanguine  temperament  displayed  itself  in  the 
ruddiness  of  his  complexion.  His  face  was  impassive, 
with  regular  features  and  a  prominent  nose.  This  was 
like  the  prow  of  a  vessel — the  nose  of  a  man  destined  for 
discovery.  His  eyes  were  soft,  and,  being  more  intelligent 
than  bold,  imparted  a  great  charm  to  his  face.  His  arms 
were  long,  and  his  feet  were  planted  upon  the  floor  with 
the  firmness  of  a  practical  pedestrian.  A  certain  quiet  self- 
possession  pervaded  the  doctor's  whole  appearance,  and  no 
one  could  believe  him  capable  of  the  most  innocent  hoax. 

The  shouts  and  plaudits  never  for  one  moment  ceased 
until  Doctor  Ferguson  intimated  his  desire  for  silence  by 
a  gesture.  He  advanced  towards  the  arm-chair  prepared 
for  his  reception,  then,  standing  perfectly  upright,  with  a 
determined  expression  of  countenance  he  pointed  the  fore- 


RECEPTION  OF  DOCTOR  FERGUSON   183 

finger  of  his  left  hand  towards  the  ceiling,  and  uttered  the 
word  "  Excelsior !  " 

Never  had  an  unexpected  popular  measure  of  Messrs. 
Cobden  or  Bright — never  had  a  demand  by  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  for  an  extra  vote  to  arm  the  English  coast  defenses 
met  wath  equal  success.  The  doctor  was  at  once  sublime, 
powerful,  unassuming,  and  prudent.  He  had  struck  the 
key-note  of  the  situation. 

"Excelsior!" 

The  old  commodore,  completely  "brought  up  in  the 
wind  "  by  this  extraordinary  man,  moved  that  the  entire 
speech  of  Doctor  Ferguson  be  entered  in  the  Proceedings 
of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society. 

Now,  who  was  this  Doctor  Ferguson,  and  to  what  enter- 
prise was  he  about  to  devote  himself  ?  The  father  of  Fer- 
guson was  a  captain  in  the  English  merchant  service,  and 
had  accustomed  his  son,  from  his  earliest  years,  to  the  dan- 
gers and  risks  of  his  own  profession.  The  brave  lad,  who 
knew  not  what  fear  meant,  soon  displayed  an  adventurous 
spirit  and  desire  for  information,  and  a  remarkable  pred- 
ilection for  scientific  research.  He  also  showed  a  won- 
derful aptitude  for  getting  out  of  scrapes,  and  he  was 
never  embarrassed,  not  even  when  using  a  fork  for  the 
first  time,  in  which  attempt  children  are  not  generally  suc- 
cessful. 

As  he  grew  older,  his  imagination  became  stimulated  by 
tales  of  hairbreadth  escapes  and  records  of  maritime  dis- 
covery. He  followed  diligently  the  routes  of  those  trav- 
elers who  made  the  first  part  of  the  nineteenth  century 
famous  in  history.  He  longed  for  the  glories  of  Mungo 
Park,  of  Bruce,  Caille,  and  Levaillant,  and  even  of  Sel- 
kirk and  Robinson  Crusoe,  which  were  to  him  in  no  way 
inferior.  How  many  happy  hours  had  he  passed  in  the 
Island  of  Juan  Fernandez?  He  sometimes  approved  of 
the  ideas  of  the  shipwrecked  sailor,  sometimes  he  denied 
the  propriety  of  his  plans  and  projects.  He  would  himself 
have  acted  differently,  to  better  effect  perhaps,  or  at  least 
as  well,  at  any  rate. 

However,  one  thing  was  certain:  he  would  never  have 
quitted  that  pleasant  island,  where  he  would  have  been  as 
happy  as  a  king  without  subjects — no,  not  if  they  had  of- 
fered to  make  him  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty ! 


i84  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

I  leave  my  readers  to  judge  how  these  tendencies  devel- 
oped themselves  during  the  adventurous  days  passed  in  all 
quarters  of  the  globe.  His  father,  an  educated  man,  did 
not  fail  to  further  consolidate  this  quickness  of  intelligence 
by  some  serious  study — hydrography,  physics,  and  mechan- 
ics, with  a  trifle  of  botany,  medicine,  and  astronomy 
thrown  in.  At  the  death  of  the  worthy  captain,  Samuel 
Ferguson,  then  twenty-two  years  old,  had  already  been 
round  the  world.  He  joined  a  regiment  of  Bengal  En- 
gineers, and  distinguished  himself  on  several  occasions. 
But  a  soldier's  life  did  not  suit  him.  He  did  not  like  his 
commanding  officer,  and  obedience  was  irksome,  so  he  ob- 
tained his  discharge,  and,  sometimes  hunting,  sometimes 
botanising,  he  made  his  way  towards  the  North  of  India, 
and  crossed  it  from  Calcutta  to  Surat.  Just  a  pleasant 
walk — nothing  more. 

From  Surat  he  went  to  Australia,  and  in  1845  took  part 
in  Captain  Stuart's  expedition  to  discover  that  Caspian  Sea 
which  is  supposed  to  exist  in  the  interior  of  New  Holland. 
In  1850  Samuel  Ferguson  returned  to  England,  and  more 
than  ever  possessed  by  the  desire  of  discovery,  in  1853  he 
accompanied  Captain  M'Clure  in  the  expedition  that  tra- 
versed the  American  Continent  from  Behring's  Strait  to 
Cape  Farewell. 

Despite  hardships  and  change  of  climate,  Ferguson's  con- 
stitution remained  unimpaired.  He  lived  at  ease  in  the 
midst  of  the  greatest  privations.  He  was  the  type  of  a  per- 
fect traveler,  whose  appetite  can  be  controlled  at  will,  whose 
limbs  can  adapt  themselves  equally  to  a  bed  whether  it  be 
long  or  short,  who  can  sleep  at  any  hour  of  the  day,  and 
awake  at  any  hour  of  the  night.  So  there  was  nothing  very 
astonishing  in  finding  our  indefatigable  traveler  engaged, 
during  the  years  1855  to  1857,  ^^  exploring  the  west  of 
Thibet,  in  company  with  the  brothers  Schlagintweit,  whence 
he  brought  back  many  curious  ethnographical  records. 

During  these  several  expeditions  Samuel  Ferguson  was 
the  most  active  and  interesting  correspondent  of  the  Daily 
Telegraph,  a  penny  journal,  whose  circulation  is  140,000 
copies  a  day,  and  scarcely  suffices  for  millions  of  readers. 
Thus  the  doctor  was  very  well  known,  although  he  was  not 
a  member  of  any  scientific  institution,  neither  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  of  London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Vienna,  or 


RECEPTION  OF  DOCTOR  FERGUSON      185 

St.  Petersburg;  nor  of  the  Travelers'  Club;  nor  even  of  the 
Polytechnic  Institution,  presided  over  by  his  friend  Kock- 
burn,  the  statistician.  This  gentleman  proposed  to  him  one 
day  the  following  problem,  with  the  intention  to  pay  him  a 
compliment:  "  Given  the  number  of  miles  traversed  by  the 
doctor  round  the  world,  how  much  farther  had  the  head 
moved  than  the  feet  in  consequence  of  the  difference  in  the 
length  of  radii."  But  Ferguson  kept  aloof  from  such 
learned  people,  and  being  rather  of  the  acting  and  not  of  the 
talking  disposition,  he  found  his  time  better  employed  in 
exploration  than  in  argument,  in  discovery  rather  than  dis- 
cussion. 

It  has  been  related  that  an  Englishman  came  to  Geneva 
with  the  intention  to  view  the  Lake.  He  got  into  one  of 
those  old  carriages  in  which  people  sit  at  the  sides  like  in 
an  omnibus.  Now  it  happened  that  this  Englishman  w^as 
seated  with  his  back  to  the  Lake.  The  carriage  peacefully 
accomplished  its  round  without  his  ever  turning  his  head; 
and  he  returned  home,  charmed  with  the  Lake  of  Geneva! 

But  Doctor  Ferguson  had  turned  round,  and  more  than 
once  during  his  travels,  and  to  such  purpose  that  he  had 
seen  nearly  everything.  In  this,  as  in  other  things,  he 
obeyed  the  dictates  of  his  nature,  and  we  have  reason  to 
believe  that  he  was  somewhat  of  a  fatalist,  but  of  a  very 
orthodox  pattern,  relying  upon  himself  as  well  as  upon 
Providence.  He  used  to  say  that  he  was  impelled  rather 
than  attracted  to  his  expeditions,  and  ran  about  the  world 
something  like  a  locomotive  which  does  not  direct  its  own 
course,  but  is  directed  by  the  route  it  follows. 

"I  do  not  pursue  my  way,"  the  doctor  would  remark; 
"  my  way  pursues  me." 

It  is  not  astonishing,  therefore,  that  he  received  the 
plaudits  of  the  Royal  Society  without  any  show  of  emotion. 
He  was  superior  to  that,  and  being  neither  proud  nor  vain, 
he  perceived  nothing  extraordinary  in  the  proposition  he  had 
made  to  the  President,  and  did  not  appear  to  notice  the  great 
effect  he  had  produced. 

After  the  meeting  was  dissolved  the  doctor  was  conducted 
to  the  Travelers'  Club  in  Pall  Mall,  where  a  splendid  ban- 
quet was  prepared  in  his  honor,  the  dimensions  of  the  vari- 
ous dishes  being  proportionate  to  the  importance  of  the 
guest,  and  the  sturgeon,  which  was  a  prominent  figure  in 


i8t>  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

this  magnificent  repast,  was  only  three  inches  shorter  than 
Samuel  Ferguson  himself. 

Numerous  toasts  were  proposed  to  the  healths  of  those 
celebrated  travelers  who  had  distinguished  themselves  on 
the  soil  of  Africa,  and  duly  honored.  They  drank  to 
their  healths  in  alphabetical  order.  To  Abbadie,  Adams, 
Adamson,  Anderson,  Arnaud,  Baikie,  Baldwin,  Barth, 
Batouder,  Beke,  Beltram  de  Berba,  Bimbachi,  Bolognesi, 
Bolwick,  Bolzoni,  Bonnemain,  Brisson,  Browne,  Bruce, 
Brun-Rollet,  Burchell,  Burckhardt,  Burton,  Caillaud,  Caille, 
Campbell,  Chapman,  Clapperton,  Clot-Bey,  Colomieu,  Cour- 
vall,  Cumming,  Cuny,  Debono,  Decken,  Denham,  Desa- 
vanchers,  Dicksen,  Dickson,  Dochard,  Du  Chaillu,  Duncan, 
Durand,  Duroule,  Duveyrier,  Erhard,  d'Escayrac  de  Lau- 
teur,  Ferret,  Fresnel,  Galinier,  Galton,  Geoffroy,  Golberry, 
Hahn,  Halm,  Harnier,  Hecquart,  Heuglin,  Hornemann, 
Houghton,  Imbert,  Kaufmann,  Knoblecher,  Krapf,  Kum- 
mer,  Lafargue,  Laing,  Lajaille,  Lambert,  Lamiral,  Lam- 
priere,  John  Lander,  Richard  Lander,  Lefebvre,  Lejean,  Le- 
vaillant,  Livingstone,  Maccarthy,  Maggiar,  Maizan,  Malzac, 
Moffat,  Mollieu,  Monteiro,  Morrisson,  Mungo  Park,  Nei- 
mans,  Overweg,  Panet,  Partarrieau,  Pascal,  Pearse,  Peddie, 
Peney,  Petherick,  Poncet,  Prax,  Raffenel,  Rath,  Rebmann, 
Richardson,  Riley,  Ritchie,  Rochet  d'Hericourt,  Rongawi, 
Roscher,  Ruppel,  Saugnier,  Speke,  Steidner,  Thibaud, 
Thompson,  Thornton,  Toole,  Tousny,  Trotter,  Tuckey,  Tyr- 
witt,  Vaudey,  Veyssiere,  Vincent,  Vinco,  Vogel,  Wahlberg, 
Warrington,  Washington,  Werne,  Wild,  and  lastly  to  Doc- 
tor Samuel  Ferguson,  who,  by  his  unheard-of  project,  was 
about  to  bind  together  the  works  of  all  these  travelers,  and 
complete  the  series  of  African  discoveries. 


CHAPTER   II 

AN  ARTICLE  IN   THE  "  TELEGRAPH  " 

In  its  issue  of  the  next  day,  the  Daily  Telegraph  pub- 
lished the  following  article : 

"  Africa  is  about  to  yield  the  secret  of  its  vast  solitudes 
at  last.  A  modern  QEdipus  will  find  the  key  to  the  problem 
which  the  learned  of  sixteen  centuries  have  not  been  able  to 
solve.     Formerly,  to  seek  the  sources  of  the  Nile — fontes 


AN  ARTICLE  IN  THE  "  TELEGRAPH  "     187 

Nili  queer  ere — was  regarded  as  the  act  of  a  madman;  a  chi- 
mera, in  fact. 

"  Doctor  Barth,  by  following  as  far  as  Soudan  the  route 
traversed  by  Denham  and  Clapperton ;  Doctor  Livingstone, 
by  extending  his  undaunted  researches  from  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  to  the  basin  of  the  Zambezi;  Burton  and  Speke, 
by  the  discovery  of  the  Great  Inland  Lakes,  have  opened  up 
three  routes  to  modern  civilization.  To  the  point  of  in- 
tersection of  these  routes,  no  traveler  has  hitherto  been  able 
to  penetrate;  it  is  in  the  very  heart  of  Africa.  It  is  to  that 
point  that  all  our  efforts  should  be  directed. 

"  The  works  of  these  hardy  pioneers  of  science  are  now 
about  to  be  supplemented  by  the  spirited  attempt  of  Dr. 
Samuel  Ferguson,  whose  wonderful  expeditions  have  so 
often  been  appreciated  by  our  readers.  This  hardy  ex- 
plorer proposes  to  cross  the  continent  of  Africa  from  east 
to  west  in  a  balloon.  If  we  have  been  correctly  informed, 
the  point  of  departure  of  this  extraordinary  enterprise  will 
be  the  island  of  Zanzibar  upon  the  eastern  coast.  Where 
the  point  of  arrival  will  prove  to  be — Heaven  alone  can  tell ! 

"  This  exploit  was  yesterday  proposed  officially  to  the 
members  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and  a  sum  of 
£2,500  was  voted  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  expedition. 
We  will  keep  our  readers  duly  informed  upon  the  various 
events  in  connection  with  the  projected  enterprise,  which  is 
without  precedent  in  geographical  annals." 

This  article,  as  was  intended,  had  an  enormous  circula- 
tion. It  first  aroused  a  tempest  of  incredulity,  and  Doctor 
Ferguson  was  looked  upon  as  a  visionary,  an  invention  of 
Barnum,  who,  having  exhausted  the  United  States,  was 
about  to  do  the  British  Isles ! 

A  quizzical  notice  appeared  in  Geneva  in  the  February 
number  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Geographical  Society, 
which  gently  rallied  the  Royal  Society  in  London,  the 
Travelers'  Club,  and  the  wonderful  sturgeon.  But  Mr. 
Petermann,  in  his  Mitheilungen,  published  in  Gotha,  shut 
up  the  Geneva  paper  completely.  Mr.  Petermann  was  ac- 
quainted with  Dr.  Ferguson,  and  bore  testimony  to  the 
hardihood  of  his  (Petermann's)  courageous  friend. 

Soon,  however,  doubt  was  no  longer  possible.  Prepara- 
tions for  the  expedition  were  being  made  in  London. 
Firms  at  Lyons  had  received  orders  for  striped  taffetas  for 


i88  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  balloon,  and  the  English  Government  had  placed  a 
transport,  the  Resolute,  commanded  by  Captain  Penney,  at 
the  disposal  of  Dr.  Ferguson.  Encouragement  and  good 
wishes  were  showered  from  all  sides.  The  details  of  the 
enterprise  appeared  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  Paris.  A  very  remarkable  article  was 
published  in  the  Nouvelles  yinnales  des  Voyages  de  la 
Geographie,  de  I'Histoire,  et  de  I'Archeologie,  by  M.  V.  A. 
Malte-Brun.  A  particular  account  was  published  in  the 
Zeitschrift  fiir  Allegemaine  Erdkunde,  by  Dr.  W.  Koner, 
demonstrating  the  possibility  of  the  journey,  its  chances  of 
success,  the  nature  of  the  obstacles  to  be  encountered,  and 
the  immense  advantages  of  locomotion  by  means  of  bal- 
loons. He  found  fault  only  with  the  place  of  departure, 
and  hinted  that  Masuah,  a  small  port  of  Abyssinia,  whence 
James  Bruce  started  in  his  search  for  the  sources  of  the 
Nile,  would  be  preferable.  In  all  other  respects,  he  ap- 
plauded unreservedly  the  wonderful  energy  of  Dr.  Fergu- 
son, and  the  stout  brain  and  heart  that  could  conceive  and 
execute  such  an  enterprise. 

The  North  American  Review  was  rather  annoyed 
that  so  much  honor  was  likely  to  fall  to  the  lot  of  a 
"  Britisher."  It  accordingly  ridiculed  the  whole  proceed- 
ing, and  suggested  that  the  doctor  should  go  over  to  Amer- 
ica while  he  was  about  it. 

In  fact,  not  to  go  further  into  detail,  there  was  not  a 
scientific  periodical,  from  the  Journal  of  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society,  to  the  Algerine  and  Colonial  Review; 
from  the  Annals  of  the  Society  for  tlie  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  to  the  Church  Mission  Intelligencer,  which  did 
not  discuss  the  subject  in  all  its  bearings.  Some  consider- 
able bets  were  made  in  London,  and  in  England  generally. 
I.  Upon  the  actual  existence  of  Dr.  Ferguson.  2.  Upon 
the  journey  itself,  which  some  said  would  never  be  entered 
upon,  some  declaring  the  contrary.  3.  Whether  it  would 
succeed  or  fail.  4.  On  the  probabilities  of  the  Doctor's  re- 
turn. Immense  sums  were  betted  on  those  issues,  as  freely 
as  at  Epsom  Races. 

Thus  believers,  skeptics,  the  ignorant,  and  the  learned, 
all  had  their  attention  fixed  on  the  doctor.  He  was  the 
lion  of  the  day,  without  his  even  suspecting  that  he  carried 
a  name.     He  willingly  gave  information  respecting  the  ex- 


AN  ARTICLE  IN  THE  "  TELEGRAPH  "     189 

pedltion.  He  was  easily  accessible,  and  the  most  unaffected 
man  in  the  world.  Many  a  bold  adventurer  called  upon  him 
with  the  object  of  being  permitted  to  share  the  glory  and 
perils  of  the  undertaking,  but  the  doctor  always  declined, 
without  giving  any  reason  for  his  refusal.  Many  patentees 
came  to  him  to  propose  their  plans  to  direct  the  course  of 
balloons;  he  would  accept  none  of  them.  To  those  who 
inquired  whether  he  had  discovered  anything  of  that  nature 
for  himself,  he  refused  explanation,  and  turned  to  the  com- 
pletion of  his  arrangements  with  greater  diligence  than  ever. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  doctor's  friend 

Doctor  Ferguson  possessed  a  friend.  Not  another  self, 
an  alter  ego — friendship  cannot  exist  between  two  people  of 
like  disposition.  But  if  Dick  Kennedy  and  Samuel  Fer- 
guson possessed  different  qualities,  tastes,  and  tempera- 
ments, they  possessed  the  same  heart,  and  that  did  not  em- 
barrass them  in  the  least.     Quite  the  contrary ! 

Dick  Kennedy  was  a  Scotchman,  in  the  true  acceptation 
of  the  term.  He  was  honest,  resolute,  and  obstinate.  He 
lived  at  Leith,  a  suburb  of  "  Auld  Reekie."  He  was  some- 
thing of  a  fisherman,  but  above  all  and  everything  an  in- 
defatigable sportsman,  which  was  the  less  astonishing  in  a 
Scot  somewhat  accustomed  to  roam  the  Highlands.  He 
was  quoted  as  a  wonderful  shot  with  the  rifle,  for  not  only 
could  he  split  a  bullet  on  the  blade  of  a  knife,  but  could 
divide  it  into  two  such  equal  parts  that,  when  weighed,  there 
was  no  perceptible  difference  between  them. 

In  appearance  Kennedy  resembled  Halbert  Glendinning, 
as  pictured  by  Walter  Scott  in  the  "  Monastery."  He  was 
more  than  six  feet  high,  of  graceful  and  easy  bearing.  He 
appeared  to  be  gifted  with  Herculean  strength.  His  face 
was  bronzed  by  exposure  to  the  sun,  his  eyes  were  black  and 
piercing.  He  possessed  a  naturally  fearless  temperament, 
and,  in  fact,  everything  about  him  prepossessed  one  in  his 
favor. 

The  two  friends  had  become  acquainted  in  India,  where 
they  were  serving  in  the  same  regiment.  While  Dick  used 
to  hunt  the  tiger  and  the  elephant,  Samuel  was  occupied  in 


190  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  pursuit  of  plants  or  insects.  Each  was  an  adept  in  his 
own  line,  and  many  a  rare  plant  became  the  prey  of  the 
doctor,  which  cost  as  much  to  obtain  as  a  pair  of  ivory 
tusks.  These  young  people  had  never  any  occasion  to  save 
each  other's  life,  nor  to  render  any  service  whatever  to  each 
other.  But  a  strong  friendship  existed  between  them. 
Fate  might  part  them  perhaps,  but  Friendship  would  al- 
ways unite  them  again.  Since  their  return  to  England  they 
had  frequently  been  separated  in  consequence  of  the  long 
expeditions  undertak-en  by  the  doctor,  but  upon  his  return 
he  never  failed  to  spend  some  weeks  with  his  friend  the 
Scotchman. 

Dick  talked  of  the  past,  Samuel  prepared  for  the  future. 
The  one  looked  ahead,  the  other  looked  back.  Ferguson 
was  of  a  restless  disposition,  Kennedy  was  perfectly  con- 
tented. For  two  years  after  his  travels  in  Thibet  the  doctor 
did  not  speak  of  any  new  expeditions.  Dick  thought  that 
his  friend's  taste  for  traveling,  and  his  appetite  for  adven- 
ture, had  been  satisfied.  He  was  delighted.  That  kind  of 
thing  is  sure  to  end  badly  some  day  or  other,  he  thought, 
whatever  experience  one  has  had  of  people;  one  cannot' 
travel  with  impunity  among  cannibals  and  wild  beasts. 
Kennedy,  therefore,  begged  Samuel  to  "  put  the  drag  on  " 
a  bit,  he  having  already  done  quite  enough  for  science,  and 
too  much  for  human  gratitude. 

To  this  request  the  doctor  made  no  reply,  he  remained 
buried  in  thought.  Then  he  went  to  work  again  at  his 
secret  calculations,  passing  whole  nights  in  working  out  his 
figures,  and  experimentalising  upon  curious  machines  of 
which  no  one  knew  anything.  People,  therefore,  fancied 
that  he  had  conceived  some  very  grand  notion  in  his  busy 
brain. 

"  I  wonder  what  he  is  thinking  about,"  said  Kennedy, 
when  his  friend  had  left  him  and  returned  to  London  in 
January.  He  made  the  discovery  one  morning  in  the 
columns  of  the  Daily  Telegraph. 

"  Good  Heavens !  "  he  cried,  "  the  idiot,  to  think  of  cross- 
ing Africa  in  a  balloon!  This  was  all  that  was  necessary 
to  complete  his  vagaries !  That  is,  then,  what  he  has  been 
thinking  of  these  two  years !  " 

If  the  reader  will  kindly  substitute  for  the  foregoing  notes 
of  exclamation  certain  hard  blows  of  Kennedy's  fist  ap- 


THE  DOCTOR'S  FRIEND  191 

plied  to  his  own  head,  he  will  have  some  slight  idea  of  the 
gentle  exercise  indulged  in  by  Dick  as  he  spoke. 

When  his  housekeeper,  old  Elspeth,  gently  suggested  that 
perhaps  there  might  yet  be  nothing  in  it  after  all,  he  cried, 
"  Why,  don't  you  think  I  know  the  man  ?  Is  it  not  he  all 
over?  Going  to  travel  through  the  air,  indeed!  He  will 
be  jealous  of  the  eagles  now!  But,  by  Jove,  this  shall  not 
be  if  I  can  prevent  it.  If  you  only  leave  him  to  himself, 
he  will  be  setting  off  some  fine  morning  tip  to  the  moon!  " 
The  same  evening,  Kennedy,  half  angry,  half  uneasy,  took 
the  train  at  the  General  Railway  Station,  and  next  morning 
arrived  in  London. 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  afterwards  a  cab  left  him  at 
the  door  of  the  doctor's  house  in  Greek  Street,  Soho;  as- 
cending the  steps  he  knocked  loudly  five  times. 

Ferguson  himself  opened  the  door.  "Why,  Dick?"  he 
exclaimed,  apparently  not  much  surprised  at  his  friend's 
appearance. 

"  Yes,  Dick  himself,"  replied  Kennedy. 

**  My  dear  Dick,  how  is  it  that  you  are  up  in  town  [when 
the  hunting  is  going  on?  " 
Yes,  I  am  in  London." 
And  why  have  you  come  up?  " 
To  prevent  a  foolish  action." 


it 

tt 

"A  foolish  action?  "  echoed  the  doctor. 
Is  this  true  ?  "  asked  Kennedy,  holding  out  the  article  in 


the  Daily  Telegraph  for  his  friend's  inspection. 

"  Ah !  that  is  what  you  are  driving  at.  How  very  indis- 
creet these  newspapers  are.  But  take  a  chair,  Dick,  old 
fellow." 

"  No,  I  shan't,"  said  Dick.  "  Then  you  are  quite  de- 
termined to  undertake  this  journey?  " 

"  Quite.     My  arrangements  are  being  made,  and  I- 


u 


Your  arrangements!  I  should  like  to  knock  your  ar- 
rangements to  pieces."  The  worthy  Scot  was  waxing  very 
angry. 

"  Calm  yourself,  my  dear  Dick,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I  can 
understand  your  irritation.  You  are  vexed  because  I  have 
not  sooner  made  you  acquainted  with  my  new  plans." 

"  He  talks  of  new  plans,  indeed !  " 

"  I  have  been  very  busy,"  continued  Samuel,  without 
noticing  the  interruption ;  "  there  has  been  so  much  to  do. 


192  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

But  rest  assured  I  should  not  have  gone  without  writing  to 
you " 

"  Ah !  you  are  making  a  fool  of  me  now." 

"  Because  I  had  intended  to  get  you  to  accompany  me." 

The  Scot  gave  a  bound  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a 
chamois.  "Ah,  that,  indeed,"  said  he;  "then  I  suppose 
you  wish  us  both  to  be  shut  up  in  Bedlam  together.? " 

"  I  have  positively  counted  upon  you,  my  dear  Dick,  and 
have  chosen  you  to  the  exclusion  of  everybody  else." 

Kennedy  remained  in  a  state  of  stupefaction.  "  When 
you  have  listened  to  me  for  about  ten  minutes,"  continued 
the  doctor,  quietly,  "  you  will  thank  me." 

"Are  you  serious?" 

"Perfectly." 

"  And  suppose  I  refuse  to  go  with  you?  " 

"  But  you  will  not  refuse." 

"Yet  if  I  do?" 

"  I  shall  go  alone,  that's  all." 

"  Look  here ;  let  us  sit  down,"  said  the  Scot,  "  and  talk 
this  business  over  calmly.  If  you  are  not  joking,  it  is  worth 
our  while  to  discuss  it." 

"  Well,  then,  let  us  discuss  it  at  breakfast,  if  you  have 
no  objection,  my  dear  Dick." 

The  two  friends  accordingly  sat  down,  a  great  plate  of 
sandwiches,  and  an  enormous  teapot  between  them.  "  My 
dear  Sam,"  said  the  sportsman,  "  your  project  is  a  foolish 
one;  it  is  impossible.  There  is  nothing  tangible  nor  prac- 
ticable in  it." 

"  We  shall  see,  after  we  have  attempted  it." 

"  But  that  is  not  the  point.     It  is  not  necessary  to  try  it." 

"  Why  not,  if  you  please?  " 

"  Why,  look  at  the  dangers  and  obstacles  of  all  kinds 
involved  in  it." 

"  Obstacles,"  replied  Ferguson  seriously,  "  are  only  in- 
vented to  be  overcome;  as  for  danger,  who  can  ever  escape 
it?  Life  is  made  up  of  dangers.  It  is,  perhaps,  very  dan- 
gerous to  sit  down  at  this  table,  or  to  put  on  one's  hat ;  we 
must,  however,  look  upon  what  is  likely  to  happen  as  having 
already  happened,  and  see  only  the  present  in  the  future; 
for  the  future  is  merely  the  present  a  little  farther  off." 

"  What !  "  cried  Kennedy,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  so 
you  are  still  a  fatalist.''  " 

V.  I  Verne 


THE  DOCTOR'S  FRIEND  193 

"  !?[lways,  but  in  the  good  sense  of  the  term.  We  need 
not,  therefore,  worry  ourselves  about  the  fate  in  store  for 
us ;  let  us  not  forget  the  proverb,  *  He  that  is  born  to  be 
hanged  will  never  be  drowned. '  " 

There  was  obviously  no  direct  reply  to  be  made  to  this, 
but  that  fact  did  not  prevent  Kennedy  from  producing  a 
series  of  arguments  easy  to  imagine,  but  too  long  to  repeat 
here.  "  But,  after  all,"  he  said,  after  about  an  hour's  dis- 
cussion, "  if  you  really  must  cross  Africa,  and  if  it  is  neces- 
sary for  your  happiness  to  do  so,  why  don't  you  go  by  the 
ordinary  routes?  " 

"Why?"  replied  the  doctor  with  animation,  "because 
all  such  attempts  have  failed.  Because  from  Mungo  Park 
murdered  on  the  Niger,  till  the  time  when  Vogel  disap- 
peared in  the  Wada'i ;  from  Oudney  dead  at  Murmur,  Clap- 
perton  at  Sackatou,  to  the  time  when  Maizan  was  cut  to 
pieces;  from  the  period  that  Major  Laing  was  killed  by 
the  Touaregs  to  the  massacre  of  Roscher  in  the  beginning 
of  the  year  i860,  such  a  number  of  victims  have  had  their 
names  written  in  the  record  of  African  martyrdom.  Be- 
cause, to  fight  against  the  elements,  against  hunger,  thirst, 
fever,  and  wild  animals,  and  tribes  even  more  ferocious,  is 
impossible.  Because  that  which  cannot  be  accomplished 
one  way  must  be  accomplished  in  another.  Finally,  be- 
cause when  one  is  unable  to  pass  through  a  place,  one  must 
pass  either  at  the  side  of  it  or  over  it." 

"If  it  were  only  a  question  of  getting  across,"  replied 
Kennedy ;  "  but  to  pass  over  the  top " 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  with  the  greatest  coolness, 
"what  have  I  to  fear?  You  will  confess  that  I  have  taken 
precautions  to  guard  against  a  fall  from  my  balloon.  If, 
however,  such  a  thing  did  happen,  I  should  only  then  be  in 
the  normal  condition  of  travelers;  but  my  balloon  will  not 
fail  me,  so  we  need  not  speak  of  that." 

"  On  the  contrary,  we  must  consider  that  point." 

"  Not  so,  my  dear  Dick ;  I  have  quite  made  up  my  mind 
not  to  part  from  it  until  we  have  reached  the  western  coast 
of  Africa.  With  it  everything  is  possible,  without  it  I  fall 
into  all  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  former  expeditions. 
With  my  balloon  I  need  fear  neither  heat  nor  cold,  torrent 
nor  tempest,  simoom  nor  unhealthy  climates,  wild  beasts 
nor  men.    If  I  feel  too  hot,  I  can  ascend;  if  I  feel  cold,  I 


194  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

can  come  down  again ;  is  there  a  mountain,  I  can  pass  over 
it ;  a  precipice,  I  can  clear  it ;  a  river,  I  can  cross  it ;  a  storm, 
I  can  go  above  it ;  a  torrent,  I  can  skim  over  it  like  a  bird ; 
I  can  travel  without  fatigue ;  I  can  stop  without  having  need 
to  repose;  I  can  overlook  new  cities;  I  can  fly  with  the 
rapidity  of  a  hurricane.  Sometimes  high  up  in  the  air, 
sometimes  within  a  few  feet  of  the  earth,  and  the  whole 
of  Africa  will  be  mapped  out  beneath  my  eyes  in  the  great 
atlas  of  the  world." 

The  brave  Kennedy  was  impressed,  notwithstanding  that 
the  prospects  spread  before  his  mind's  eyes  made  him  feel 
somewhat  giddy.  He  gazed  at  Samuel  with  admiration, 
not  unmixed  with  fear,  and  felt  as  if  he  were  already  sus- 
pended in  space. 

"  Let  us  see  about  this,  my  dear  Samuel.  Have  you  dis- 
covered any  means  to  direct  the  balloon?  " 

"  Not  one.     It  is  a  Utopian  idea  altogether." 

"  But  you  will  nevertheless  go?  " 

"  Where  Providence  may  will,  but  all  the  same  from  east 
to  west  1 " 

"Why  so?" 

"  Because  I  count  upon  the  trade-winds  to  assist  me ; 
their  direction  is  invariable." 

"  Oh,  indeed,"  muttered  Kennedy ;  "  the  trade-winds, 
certainly — they  might  for  once  in  a  way — there  is  some- 
thing  " 

"  Something!  No,  my  dear  friend,  there  is  everything 
in  it.  The  Government  have  placed  a  transport  at  my  dis- 
posal. It  has  also  been  agreed  that  three  or  four  vessels 
shall  proceed  to  the  western  side  about  the  anticipated  time 
of  my  arrival  there.  In  three  months,  at  farthest,  I  shall 
be  at  Zanzibar,  where  I  shall  set  about  the  inflation  of  my 
balloon,  and  we  shall  start  from  there." 

"We!"  exclaimed  Dick. 

"Have  you  then  any  objection  to  make?  Speak,  friend 
Kennedy." 

"One  objection!  I  have  a  thousand.  But,  between 
ourselves,  tell  me  if  you  count  upon  seeing  the  country;  if 
you  intend  to  ascend  and  descend  at  will,  you  must  expend 
a  quantity  of  gas,  and  there  are  no  other  means  of  pro- 
ceeding. It  is  this  fact  which  has  hitherto  prevented  any 
long  journeys  through  the  air." 


THE  DOCTOR'S  FRIEND  195 

**  My  dear  Dick,  I  shall  only  tell  you  one  thing.  I  shall 
not  lose  an  atom  of  gas — not  a  particle." 

"  And  you  will  descend  when  you  please?  " 

"  I  will  descend  when  I  please." 

"And  how  will  you  manage  this?  " 

"  That  is  my  secret,  friend  Richard.  Have  faith  in  me, 
and  my  motto  may  be  yours — *  Excelsior ! '  " 

"  Agreed.  '  Excelsior  '  be  it,"  replied  the  hunter,  who 
did  not  understand  a  word  of  Latin.  But  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  offer  all  the  opposition  in  his  power  to  the  departure 
of  his  friend.  He  pretended  to  be  of  his  opinion,  and  con- 
tented himself  with  watching.  As  for  the  doctor,  he  went 
to  inspect  his  preparations. 


CHAPTER  IV 

AFRICAN    EXPLORATION 

The  direction  which  Dr.  Ferguson  intended  to  follow  in 
his  balloon  had  not  been  chosen  at  hap-hazard.  He  had 
seriously  considered  his  point  of  departure,  and  it  was  not 
without  reason  that  he  had  resolved  to  ascend  from  the 
island  of  Zanzibar. 

This  island,  situated  close  to  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  is 
in  the  6th  degree  of  South  latitude,  or  430  geographical 
miles  below  the  equator.  The  last  expedition  which  went 
by  way  of  the  great  lakes  to  discover  the  source  of  the  Nile 
started  from  Zanzibar. 

But  perhaps  it  may  be  as  well  to  mention  what  expedi- 
tions Doctor  Ferguson  was  hoping  to  connect  together. 
There  were  two  principal  ones — that  of  Doctor  Barth  in 
1849,  and  that  of  Lieutenants  Burton  and  Speke  in  1858. 

Doctor  Barth  was  a  native  of  Hamburg,  who  obtained 
permission  for  himself  and  for  his  countryman,  Overweg, 
to  join  the  English  expedition  under  Richardson,  who  was 
charged  with  a  mission  into  the  Soudan.  This  immense 
district  is  situated  between  the  15th  and  loth  degrees  of 
North  latitude ;  that  is  to  say,  that  to  arrive  there  it  is  neces- 
sary to  travel  more  than  1,500  miles  into  the  interior  of 
Africa.  Up  to  the  period  mentioned  the  country  was  only 
known  from  the  expeditions  of  Denham,  Clapperton,  and 
Gudney,  between  the  years  1822  and  1824. 


196  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

Richardson,  Earth,  and  Overweg,  desirous  of  pushing 
their  researches  farther,  went  to  Tunis  and  TripoH,  hke  their 
predecessors,  and  penetrated  to  Mourzouk,  the  capital  of 
Fezzan.  They  then  quitted  the  direct  line  of  march  and 
made  a  detour  to  the  west,  towards  Ghat,  guided,  and  not 
without  difficulty,  by  the  Touaregs,  After  undergoing  a 
thousand  perils  and  attacks,  their  caravan  arrived,  in  Octo^ 
ber,  at  the  great  oasis  of  the  Asben.  Here  Doctor  Barth 
separated  himself  from  his  companions  and  made  an  ex- 
cursion to  the  town  of  Aghades.  Rejoining  the  expedition, 
it  marched  again  on  the  12th  December,  and  having  reached 
the  province  of  Damaghou,  the  three  travelers  separated. 
Barth  took  the  route  to  Kano,  where  he  eventually  arrived 
in  safety,  thanks  to  his  indomitable  patience  and  the  pay- 
ment of  considerable  tribute. 

In  spite  of  a  severe  attack  of  fever,  he  quitted  Kano  on 
the  7th  of  March,  accompanied  only  by  one  servant.  The 
principal  aim  of  his  journey  was  to  explore  Lake  Tchad, 
from  which  he  was  distant  350  miles.  He  advanced,  there- 
fore, in  an  easterly  direction,  and  reached  Zouricolo,  in  the 
Bornou,  which  town  is  the  capital  of  the  great  central  em- 
pire of  Africa. 

It  was  there  that  he  heard  of  Richardson's  death  caused 
by  fatigue  and  privation.  Passing  on,  he  reached  Kouka, 
the  capital  of  Bornou,  situated  on  the  Lake.  At  length, 
after  a  further  period  of  three  weeks,  on  the  14th  of  April, 
twelve  months  and  a  half  after  quitting  Tripoli,  he  arrived 
at  the  town  of  Ngornou. 

We  find  him  once  more  in  company  with  Overweg,  start- 
ing on  the  29th  March,  1851,  to  visit  the  kingdom  of 
Adamaon,  at  the  south  side  of  the  Lake.  He  succeeded  in 
reaching  Yola,  a  little  below  the  9th  degree  of  North  lati- 
tude. That  was  the  extreme  southerly  point  reached  by 
this  intrepid  traveler. 

In  August  he  returned  to  Kouka,  thence  he  reached  In 
succession  Mandara,  Berghimi,  and  Kanem,  attaining  his 
eastern  limit  at  Mazena  in  17*'  20'  W.  long. 

In  November,  1852,  after  the  death  of  Overweg,  his 
latest  companion,  he  plunged  into  the  west,  visited  Sockoto, 
crossed  the  Niger,  and  finally  arrived  at  Timbuctoo,  where 
he  was  obliged  to  languish  for  eight  tedious  months,  ex- 
posed to  incessant  annoyance  by  the  sheik,  to  ill-treatment. 


AFRICAN  EXPLORATION  197 

and  wretchedness.  But  the  presence  of  a  Christian  in  the 
town  could  not  be  tolerated  longer,  and  the  Foullaunes 
threatened  to  beset  him. 

So  the  doctor  departed  on  the  17th  March,  1854,  and 
sought  refuge  on  the  frontier,  where  he  remained  thirty- 
three  days  in  terrible  destitution.  He  returned  to  Kano  in 
November,  and  thence  to  Kouka.  Here  he  struck  the 
former  route  of  Denham,  after  four  months'  detention. 
About  the  end  of  the  year  1855  he  got  back  to  Tripoli,  and 
reached  London  on  the  6th  September,  the  sole  survivor 
of  his  party.    Such  was  the  extraordinary  journey  of  Barth. 

Doctor  Ferguson  had  noted  carefully  that  Barth  did  not 
penetrate  beyond  4°  N.  lat.  and  17°  W.  long. 

Now  let  us  see  what  Burton  and  Speke  accomplished  in 
Eastern  Africa. 

The  various  expeditions  which  ascended  the  Nile  were 
all  unable  to  reach  its  source,  apparently  shrouded  in  mys- 
tery. According  to  the  account  of  the  German  doctor, 
Ferdinand  Werne,  the  expedition  projected  in  1840,  under 
the  auspices  of  Mehamet  Ali,  was  stopped  at  Gondokoro 
between  the  4th  and  5th  parallels  of  N.  lat. 

In  1855  Brun-Rollet,  a  Savoyard,  Sardinian  consul  in 
the  Soudan  in  the  place  of  Vauday,  who  had  been  killed, 
quitted  Karthoum,  and,  in  the  disguise  of  a  merchant  deal- 
ing in  gum  and  ivory,  he  reache'd  Belenia  just  beyond  4°, 
and  returned  to  Karthoum  sick.     He  died  there  in  1857. 

Neither  Doctor  Beney,  chief  of  the  Egyptian  Medical 
Service,  who  in  a  small  steamer  reached  to  one  degree  be- 
low Gondokoro,  and  returned  to  die  of  exhaustion  at 
Karthoum;  nor  the  Venetian  Miani,  who,  by  avoiding  the 
cataracts  below  Gondokoro,  touched  the  second  parallel ;  nor 
the  Maltese  merchant,  Andrea  Debono,  who  pushed  on 
farther  still,  was  able  to  pass  that  insurmountable  barrier. 

In  1859,  M.  Guillaume  Lejean,  sent  out  by  the  French 
Government,  reached  Karthoum  by  way  of  the  Red  Sea, 
and  embarked  on  the  Nile  with  a  crew  of  twenty-one  men 
and  twenty  soldiers,  but  he  could  not  get  beyond  Gondokoro, 
and  incurred  the  greatest  danger  from  the  negro  tribes,  then 
in  full  revolt.  The  expedition  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Escayrac  de  Lauture  made  an  equally  vain  attempt  to  reach 
these  famous  sources. 

That  fatal  barrier  always  stopped  would-be  explorers. 


198  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

The  people  sent  by  Nero  had  in  his  time  reached  the  9th 
degree  of  latitude,  so  in  1800  years  we  have  only  gained 
five  or  six  degrees,  or  about  300  to  360  geographical  miles. 

Many  travelers  have  attempted  to  reach  the  sources  of 
the  Nile  from  the  west  side  of  the  continent.  During  the 
years  1768-72,  the  Scotchman,  Bruce,  departing  from 
Masuah,  a  port  of  Abyssinia,  sailed  up  the  Tigris,  visited 
the  ruins  of  Axum,  actually  beheld  the  sources  of  the  Nile 
where  they  did  not  exist,  and  returned  without  obtaining 
any  other  remarkable  success. 

In  1844,  Doctor  Krapf,  an  Anglican  missionary,  estab- 
lished a  station  at  Monbez  on  the  coast  of  Zanguebar,  and 
discovered,  in  company  with  the  Reverend  Mr.  Rebmann, 
two  mountains  at  a  distance  of  300  miles  from  the  coast. 
These  are  Kilimandjaro  and  Kenia,  that  Heuglin  and 
Thornton  ascended  together. 

In  1845,  Maizan,  a  Frenchman,  disembarked  alone  at 
Bazamaye,  opposite  Zanzibar,  and  got  as  far  as  Deje  la 
Mhora,  where  he  was  put  to  death  with  cruel  tortures. 

In  1859,  in  the  month  of  August,  Roscher,  of  Hamburg, 
a  young  traveler,  set  out  with  a  caravan  of  Arab  merchants, 
and  reached  Lake  Nyassa,  where  he  was  murdered  in  his 
sleep. 

Finally,  in  1857,  Lieutenants  Burton  and  Speke,  both 
officers  of  the  Bengal  army,  were  dispatched  by  the  Geo- 
graphical Society  of  London,  to  explore  the  great  African 
Lakes.  On  the  17th  of  June  they  quitted  Zanzibar,  and 
directed  their  course  to  the  west. 

After  four  months  of  incredible  suffering,  their  baggage 
pillaged,  their  porters  worn  out  and  dispirited,  they  arrived 
at  Kazeh,  the  meeting  center  for  merchants  and  caravans. 
They  were  in  the  true  land  of  the  moon.  There  they  col- 
lected many  valuable  documents  respecting  the  manners, 
government,  religion,  and  the  fauna  and  flora  of  the 
country. 

Thence  they  journeyed  towards  the  first  of  the  great 
lakes,  Tanganyika,  situated  between  the  3°  and  8°  of  South 
latitude.  They  reached  it  on  the  14th  of  February,  1858, 
and  made  themselves  acquainted  with  the  various  tribes 
along  its  banks,  who  were  chiefly  cannibals.  Leaving  the 
lake  on  the  20th  May,  they  re-entered  Kazeh  on  the  20th 
June.     Here  Burton,  quite  knocked  up,  remained  ill  for 


AFRICAN  EXPLORATION  199 

several  months,  and  during  that  time  Speke  traveled  north- 
wards more  than  300  miles,  as  far  as  Lake  Onkereone, 
which  he  sighted  on  the  13th  August,  but  could  only  see 
the  opening  of  it  in  2°  30'  longtitude.  He  then  returned 
to  Kazeh  on  the  25th,  and  with  Burton  retraced  his  steps 
to  Zanzibar,  which  they  reached  in  March  of  the  following 
year.  These  two  intrepid  travelers  then  came  back  to  Eng- 
land, and  the  Geographical  Society  of  Paris  bestowed  upon 
them  its  annual  prize. 

Doctor  Ferguson  had  also  carefully  noted  that  they  had 
not  passed  either  the  2°  of  South  latitude  nor  the  29°  longi- 
tude East. 

He  therefore  set  himself  to  the  task  of  joining  the  dis- 
coveries of  Burton  and  Speke  to  those  of  Doctor  Barth,  and 
to  pass  over  a  tract  of  country  extending  to  more  than 
twelve  degrees. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  MAP  OF  AFRICA 

Doctor  Ferguson  kept  pressing  forward  the  prepara- 
tions for  his  departure;  he  personally  directed  the  construc- 
tion of  his  balloon,  following  out  certain  modifications, 
respecting  which  he  maintained  an  absolute  silence. 

For  some  time  previously,  he  had  been  applying  himself 
to  the  study  of  Arabic,  and  of  various  patois,  and  thanks 
to  his  arrangement  of  the  dialects,  he  made  rapid  progress. 

In  the  meantime,  his  friend  never  left  him  for  a  moment; 
'he  was  doubtless  apprehensive  that  the  doctor  would  take 
flight,  and  he  still  brought  to  bear  upon  the  subject  his 
most  persuasive  arguments,  which  had  no  effect  whatever 
upon  Samuel  Ferguson,  who  would  endeavor  to  escape 
under  cover  of  the  most  moving  entreaties,  by  which  he 
appeared  little  touched  himself.  Dick  felt  that  he  was 
slipping  through  his  fingers. 

The  unfortunate  Scot  was  really  to  be  pitied;  he  could 
never  think  of  the  azure  vault  of  Heaven  without  a  fit  of 
the  "blues";  he  realized,  when  asleep,  the  giddy  suspen- 
sion, and  every  night  he  felt  as  if  he  were  falling  from  an 
immense  height. 

We  ought  to  state  that,  while  under  these  terrible  night- 


200  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

mares,  he  fell  out  of  bed  once  or  twice.     His  first  notion 
[was  to  exhibit  a  great  contusion  on  his  head. 

"  There,"  he  said,  with  a  smile,  "  look  at  that,  and  only 
caused  by  a  fall  of  three  feet.    Now,  what  do  you  think?  " 

This  insinuation,  full  of  sadness  though  it  was,  had  no 
effect  upon  the  doctor. 

"  We  shall  not  fall  out,"  he  said  slyly. 

"  But  suppose  we  do?  " 

"  We  shall  not,  I  tell  you." 

This  was  decisive,  and  Kennedy  had  nothing  to  say. 

What  particularly  aggravated  Dick  was  that  the  doctor 
appeared  completely  to  ignore  his  (Dick's)  individuality, 
and  looked  upon  him  as  fated  to  become  his  aerial  compan- 
ion.    There  was  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  about  that. 

Samuel  was  accustomed  to  make  a  shameful  abuse  of 
the  first  person  plural. 

"  We  "  go.  "  We  "  shall  be  ready.  "  We  "  shall  leave. 
And  then  the  adjective  .(possessive) — "Our"  balloon. 
"  Our "  boat.  "  Our "  undertaking.  And  again  in  the 
plural — "  Our  "  preparations.  "  Our  "  discoveries.  "  Our" 
ascents. 

Dick  shuddered  at  all  this,  although  determined  not  to 
stir,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  thwart  his  friend.  Let  us  con- 
fess, indeed,  that,  without  saying  anything  about  it,  he  had 
caused  some  clothes  and  his  best  rifles  to  be  forwarded  to 
him  secretly  from  Edinburgh. 

One  day,  having  gone  so  far  as  to  confess  that,  with 
good  luck,  one  might  have  a  chance  of  success,  he  pre- 
tended to  agree  with  the  doctor,  but  in  order  to  delay  the 
journey,  he  quoted  a  number  of  the  most  wonderfully  varied 
and  hairbreadth  escapes.  He  fell  back  upon  the  use  and 
expediency  of  the  journey.  Was  it  really  a  necessity  to 
discover  the  sources  of  the  Nile?  Would  their  work  really 
prove  of  benefit  to  the  human  race?  Suppose,  after  all, 
the  tribes  of  Africa  should  be  civilized,  how  much  better  off 
will  they  be  then  ?  Was  it  by  any  means  certain,  moreover, 
that  they  were  not  already  as  civilized  as  Europe?  Per- 
haps so.  And,  in  the  first  place,  why  couldn't  they  wait  a 
little  longer?  Surely  Africa  could  be  crossed  one  day  in 
a  less  dangerous  fashion?  In  a  month,  in  six  months,  be- 
fore the  year  was  out,  some  explorer  would  indubitably 
present  himself. 


THE  MAP  OF  AFRICA  301 

These  insinuations  produced  an  effect  the  very  opposite 
to  the  speaker's  wishes,  and  the  doctor  quivered  with  im- 
patience. 

"  Do  you  wish,  then,  you  unhappy  man,  that  this  glory 
shall  be  shared  with  someone  else?  Is  it,  then,  necessary 
to  fib  about  it;  to  enlarge  upon  obstacles  which  are  not 
serious;  to  repay,  by  cowardly  hesitation,  what  has  been 
done  for  me  by  the  Government  and  the  Royal  Society?  " 

"  But,"  replied  Kennedy,  who  was  very  much  addicted 
to  the  use  of  this  word. 

"  But !  "  echoed  the  doctor,  "  do  not  you  know  that  my 
journey  ought  to  contribute  to  the  success  of  enterprises 
already  undertaken?  Are  you  not  aware  that  fresh  expedi- 
tions are  advancing  into  the  center  of  Africa?  " 

"  Still " 

"  Listen  to  me,  Dick.     Just  look  at  this  map." 

Dick  regarded  it  with  a  resigned  expression. 

"  Follow  up  the  course  of  the  Nile " 

"  I  am  following  it,"  replied  the  Scot  resignedly. 

"Have  you  reached  Gondokoro?" 

"  I  am  there."  And  Kennedy  thought  how  easy  it  would 
be  to  make  a  similar  voyage — on  a  map. 

"  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  *'  place  one  of  the  points  upon 
that  town  which  the  bravest  travelers  have  with  difficulty 
passed." 

"  I  have  fixed  it." 

"  And  now  look  on  the  coast  line  for  the  island  of 
Zanzibar  in  the  6th  degree  of  south  latitude." 

"  I  have  got  it." 

"  Follow  now  this  parallel  and  you  arrive  at  Kazet." 

"  All  right." 

"  Now  go  up  by  the  33rd  degree  of  longitude  as  far  as 
the  commencement  of  Lake  Onkereone,  at  the  spot  where 
Lieutenant  Speke  halted." 

"  I  am  there.     I  shall  be  in  the  lake  in  a  minute." 

"  Now  do  you  know  what  is  the  natural  deduction  from 
the  information  gathered  from  the  tribes  on  the  borders  of 
the  lake?" 

"  I  have  not  the  faintest  notion." 

"  It  is  that  this  lake,  whose  lower  end  is  in  2**  30'  lati- 
tude, ought  to  extend  equally  two  and  a  half  degrees  above 
the  equator." 


202  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"Really?" 

"  Now,  from  this  northern  extremity  runs  a  stream  which 
ought  to  flow  into  the  Nile,  if  it  be  not  the  Nile  itself." 

"  That  is  extremely  interesting." 

"  Now  place  the  other  point  of  that  compass  on  this 
(extremity  of  the  lake" 

"  It  is  done,"  said  Ferguson. 

"  How  many  degrees  do  you  make  it  between  the 
points.? " 

"  Scarcely  two." 

"  Do  you  know  how  far  that  is,  Dick?  " 

*' Haven't  an  idea !  " 

"  It  is  but  120  miles;  a  mere  nothing." 

"Well,  scarcely  nothing,  Samuel."    . 

"  Now,  do  you  know  what  is  actually  taking  place  at  this 
moment?  " 

"  No,  upon  my  life,  I  don't. 

"  Well,  the  Geographical  Society  considers  it  very  im- 
portant that  this  lake,  discovered  by  Speke,  should  be  ex- 
plored. Under  its  direction.  Lieutenant,  now  Captain, 
Speke  has  joined  with  Captain  Grant  of  the  Indian  Army; 
they  have  been  put  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  caravan,  and 
with  ample  funds.  They  have  been  commissioned  to  go  up 
the  lake,  and  to  return  as  far  as  Gondokoro.  They  have 
been  subsidized  to  the  amount  of  £5,000,  and  the  Governor 
of  the  Cape  has  placed  Hottentot  soldiers  under  their  or- 
ders. They  left  Zanzibar  at  the  end  of  October,  i860. 
During  this  time,  John  Petherick,  H.  M.  Consul  at  Kar- 
thoum,  has  received  from  the  Foreign  Office  about  £700. 
He  has  orders  to  provide  a  steamer,  and,  with  a  plentiful 
supply  of  provisions,  to  proceed  to  Gondokoro,  there  to 
await  the  arrival  of  Captain  Speke's  party,  and  to  assist 
them  if  necessary." 

"  That  is  a  well-conceived  plan,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  You  can  now  perceive  that  we  have  no  time  to  lose  if 
we  would  participate  in  this  expedition.  And  that  is  not 
all;  while  they  are  marching  on  foot  to  discover  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  other  travelers  are  bravely  penetrating  into  the 
very  heart  of  Africa." 

"On  foot?"  exclaimed  Kennedy  incredulously. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  doctor,  without  noticing  the  insinua- 
tion.    "  Doctor  Krapf  proposes  to  push  towards  the  west 


THE  MAP  OF  AFRICA  203 

by  the  Djob,  a  river  below  the  Equator.  Baron  Decken  has 
left  Monbaz,  and  revisited  the  mountains  Kenia  and  Kili- 
mandjaro,  and  is  still  advancing  towards  the  interior." 

"Also  on  foot?" 

**  Either  on  foot  or  with  mules." 

"  All  the  same  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,"  replied 
Kennedy. 

"  Finally,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  M.  Heuglin,  the 
Austrian  vice-consul  at  Karthoum,  is  about  to  organize  a 
very  important  expedition,  of  which  the  chief  aim  will  be 
the  search  for  the  explorer  Vogel,  who,  in  1853,  was  sent 
into  the  Soudan  to  join  forces  with  Dr.  Barth.  In  1856  he 
quitted  Bornou,  resolved  to  explore  the  unknown  region 
which  extends  between  Lake  Tchad  and  Darfour.  Since 
then  he  has  not  been  heard  of.  Letters  arrived  in  i860  at 
Alexandria  stating  that  he  had  been  assassinated  by  the 
orders  of  the  King  of  Wadai,  but  subsequent  communica- 
tions addressed  by  Dr.  Hartmann  to  Vogel's  father,  that, 
according  to  the  report  of  a  fellatah  of  Bornou,  Vogel  was 
only  kept  a  prisoner  at  Wara;  all  hope,  therefore,  is  not 
lost.  A  committee  has  been  formed  under  the  presidency 
of  the  Regent  of  Saxe-Coburg  Gotha.  My  friend  Peter- 
mann  is  the  secretary.  A  national  subscription  has  been 
set  on  foot  to  support  the  expedition,  to  which  several 
savants  have  already  attached  themselves.  M.  Heuglin  left 
Masuah  in  June,  and  while  he  searches  for  Vogel,  he  has 
instructions  to  explore  the  country  lying  between  the  Nile 
and  Lake  Tchad,  that  is  to  say,  to  connect  the  discoveries 
of  Speke  and  Barth,  and  then  Africa  will  have  been  crossed 
from  east  to  west !  " 

"  Well,"  said  the  Scot,  "  as  that  is  all  so  nicely  arranged 
I  don't  see  what  there  is  for  us  to  do." 

Doctor  Ferguson  made  no  reply  to  this  beyond  a  shrug 
of  his  shoulders. 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   RARE   SERVANT 

Doctor  Ferguson  had  a  man-servant  who  rejoiced  in  the 
name  of  Joe.  An  excellent  fellow,  entirely  devoted  to  his 
master,  and  serving  him  with  a  boundless  attention.     Some- 


204  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

times  he  even  anticipated  his  orders,  and  carried  them  out 
with  the  greatest  intelligence.  Never  grumbling,  and  al- 
ways in  good  humor,  people  said  that,  had  he  been  made  on 
purpose,  he  could  not  have  been  better. 

Ferguson  placed  himself  in  Joe's  hands  entirely  and 
rightly.  Rare  and  honest  Joe !  A  servant  who  orders  your 
dinner  exactly  to  your  taste,  who  packs  your  portmanteau 
and  never  forgets  the  shirts  and  socks,  who  keeps  your  keys 
and  your  secrets,  and  never  give  up  either. 

But  what  a  master  the  doctor  was  to  Joe!  With  what 
respect  and  confidence  he  welcomed  his  decisions!  When 
Ferguson  had  spoken,  it  would  be  folly  to  reply.  All  that 
he  thought  was  right;  everything  he  said  was  correct;  all 
that  he  ordered  to  be  done,  feasible;  all  he  undertook  was 
possible;  all  that  he  accomplished,  magnificent!  You 
might  have  cut  Joe  in  pieces,  which  would  have  been, 
doubtless,  very  unpleasant,  but  he  would  not  have  changed 
his  opinion  respecting  his  master.  Thus,  when  the  doctor 
broached  the  project  of  crossing  Africa  in  a  balloon,  Joe 
looked  upon  the  feat  as  already  accomplished;  no  obstacles 
existed  for  him.  As  soon  as  the  doctor  had  resolved  to  set 
out,  he  would  be  there  with  his  faithful  servant  of  course; 
for  the  brave  lad,  without  ever  having  mentioned  the  sub- 
ject, knew  very  well  that  he  would  be  of  the  party.  He 
would,  besides,  be  able  to  render  important  service,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  activity  and  intelligence.  If  it  had  been 
necessary  to  appoint  a  professor  of  gymnastics  to  the 
monkeys  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  who  are  pretty  lively 
now,  Joe  would  certainly  have  obtained  the  situation.  To 
jump,  climb,  to  impel  himself  through  the  air,  to  execute  a 
thousand  almost  impossible  antics,  was  child's  play  to  Joe. 

If  Ferguson  was  the  head  and  Kennedy  the  arm,  Joe  was 
certainly  the  right  hand.  He  had  already  traveled  a  great 
deal  with  his  master,  and  possessed  some  smattering  of 
science  suitable  to  his  position,  but  he  distinguished  him- 
self above  all  by  a  philosophic  calmness,  and  a  charming 
talent  for  looking  on  the  bright  side.  Everything  to  him 
was  easy,  logical,  and  natural,  and  consequently  he  never 
complained  nor  swore. 

Besides  these  attributes  he  possessed  a  most  astonishing 
range  of  vision.  He,  equally  with  Moestlin,  Kepler's 
teacher,  enjoyed  the  curious  faculty  of  being  able  to  see 


A  RARE  SERVANT  205 

the  moons  of  Jupiter  with  the  naked  eye,  and  to  count 
fourteen  stars  in  the  Pleiades,  which  last  are  of  the  ninth 
magnitude.  He  was  not  proud  of  this  at  all;  on  the  con- 
trary, he  would  salute  you  respectfully,  and,  on  occasion, 
he  could  make  use  of  his  eyes  to  some  purpose. 

With  the  confidence  Joe  displayed  towards  the  doctor,  it 
is  not  astonishing  that  frequent  discussions  would  arise  be- 
tween Kennedy  and  the  worthy  domestic,  with  all  due  re- 
gard to  their  relative  positions. 

One  doubted,  the  other  had  faith ;  one  represented  a  clear- 
sighted prudence,  the  other,  blind  confidence.  So  the  doctor 
was  situated  between  skepticism  and  belief,  and,  I  am  bound 
to  add,  he  paid  no  attention  to  either. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Kennedy,"  said  Joe. 

"Well,  my  lad." 

"  The  time  is  approaching.  It  seems  that  we  are  about 
to  set  off  to  the  moon." 

"  You  mean  the  land  of  the  moon,  which  is  not  quite  so 
far,  but  quite  sufficiently  dangerous;  so  be  easy  in  your 
mind." 

"Dangerous!  with  a  man  like  Doctor  Ferguson?" 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  dissipate  your  delusions,  my  good  Joe, 
but  his  enterprise  is  simple  madness.  He  will  never  enter 
upon  it." 

"  Not  go  ?  Then  you  haven't  seen  the  balloon  in  the 
workshop  of  Messrs.  Mitchell,  in  the  Borough?  " 

"  I  shall  take  very  good  care  not  to  go  to  see  it." 

"  Then  you  will  lose  a  splendid  sight,  sir.  What  a 
beautiful  thing  it  is ;  what  a  lovely  shape,  and  what  a  charm- 
ing car!     How  jolly  we  shall  all  be  in  it!  " 

"  Then  you  have  really  made  up  your  mind  to  accom- 
pany your  master.?  " 

"  I ! "  replied  Joe  decisively.  "  I  would  go  wherever 
he  pleased.  As  if  I  should  ever  let  him  go  alone  when  we 
have  been  round  the  world  together.  Who  would  there  be 
to  assist  him  when  he  was  fatigued  if  I  were  not  there? 
Whose  strong  hand  to  help  him  over  a  precipice?  Who 
would  nurse  him  if  he  were  to  fall  ill?  No,  Mr.  Richard, 
Joe  will  aways  be  at  his  post  beside  the  doctor,  or  rather, 
I  should  say,  all  round  him." 

"  You  are  a  brave  fellow." 

"  Besides,  you  will  come  with  us,"  said  Joe. 


2o6  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  is  to  say,  I  shall 
accompany  you  with  the  view  to  stop  you  at  the  last  mo- 
ment from  putting  such  folly  into  execution.  I  will  follow 
the  doctor  as  far  as  Zanzibar  in  the  hope  that  he  may  even 
then  be  dissuaded  from  his  mad  project." 

"  With  all  due  respect  to  you,  Mr.  Kennedy,  you  will 
not  have  the  slightest  effect.  My  master  is  not  one  of  your 
hair-brained  sort.  He  has  been  pondering  over  this  under- 
taking for  a  long  time,  and  once  his  resolution  is  taken,  the 
devil  himself  cannot  compel  him  to  change  his  mind." 

"  That  remains  to  be  proved,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Don't  you  flatter  yourself  with  any  such  idea,"  con- 
tinued Joe.  "  Besides,  it  is  very  important  that  you  should 
come  too.  A  sportsman  like  yourself  will  be  in  his  very 
element  in  Africa.  So  you  see  for  every  reason  you  will 
not  regret  your  journey." 

"  No,  certainly.  I  shall  not  regret  it  if  this  idiotic 
scheme  can  ever  be  carried  out." 

"  By-the-bye,"  said  Joe,  "  do  you  know  that  this  is  the 
day  to  be  weighed  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  weighed?  " 

"  Well,  weighed — you  and  I  and  my  master." 

"What,  like  jockeys?" 

"  Yes,  like  jockeys.  Only  be  assured  you  will  not  be 
obliged  to  train  if  you  are  too  stout.  They  will  take  you  as 
you  are." 

"  I  shall  certainly  not  allow  myself  to  be  weighed,"  said 
the  Scot  with  some  warmth. 

"  But,  sir,  it  is  necessary  for  the  balloon  that  you  should." 

"  Well,  the  balloon  must  do  without,  that's  all." 

"  Oh,  very  well,  and  if  in  consequence  of  wrong  estimates 
the  balloon  should  not  be  able  to  take  us " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  that,  of  course." 

"Well,  shall  we,  Mr.  Kennedy?  My  master  will  be 
coming  to  look  for  us  in  a  moment." 

"  I  shall  not  go,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  not  wish  to  annoy  him." 

"  I  cannot  help  that." 

"Capital,"  cried  Joe,  laughing;  "you  only  say  that  be- 
cause he  is  not  here,  but  when  he  comes  in  and  says  to  you, 
*  Dick,'  (begging  your  pardon,  sir)  '  Dick,  I  want  to  know 
exactly  what  you  weigh,'  you  will  go,  take  my  word  for  it." 


A  RARE  SERVANT  207 

"  I  tell  you  I  shall  not." 

At  this  moment  the  doctor  entered  the  study  where  this 
conversation  had  been  carried  on.  He  looked  towards 
Dick,  who  did  not  feel  quite  at  his  ease. 

"  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  "  come  with  Joe,  will  you,  I 
want  to  ascertain  what  you  two  weigh." 

"  But "  began  Kennedy. 

"  You  needn't  take  off  your  hat — come  along." 

And  Kennedy  went  accordingly. 

They  presented  themselves  at  the  workshop  of  Messrs. 
Mitchell,  where  a  steel-yard  had  been  got  ready.  It  was 
absolutely  necessary  that  the  doctor  should  know  the  weight 
of  his  companions,  so  as  to  be  able  to  ascertain  the  floating 
power  of  his  balloon.  He  requested  Dick  to  get  upon  the 
platform  of  the  scales;  he  did  so  without  resisting,  but  he 
muttered,  "  Very  well,  but  this  commits  me  to  nothing." 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty-three  pounds,"  said  the  doctor, 
writing  the  weight  on  his  note-book. 

"Am  I  too  heavy?"  said  Kennedy. 

"Oh  dear  no,  Mr.  Kennedy,"  said  Joe;  "besides,  I  am 
so  light  that  it  will  equalize  the  matter." 

As  he  said  this,  Joe  took  his  place  with  alacrity  on  the 
machine.  He  was  very  nearly  upsetting  the  whole  thing  in 
his  excitement,  and  he  posed  himself  after  the  attitude  of 
the  Duke  of  Wellington  as  Achilles  in  Hyde  Park,  and  was 
very  grand  even  without  the  buckler  "  One  hundred  and 
twenty  pounds,"  wrote  the  doctor. 

"  Ha,  ha!  "  cried  Joe,  with  a  radiant  satisfaction.  Why 
he  smiled  he  never  could  have  explained. 

"Now  it  is  my  turn,"  said  Ferguson;  and  he  entered 
135  lbs.  on  his  own  account.  "We  three,"  he  added,  "do 
not  weigh  more  than  400  lbs." 

"  But,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  if  it  were  necessary  I  could  starve 
myself  a  little,  and  come  down  twenty  pounds  or  so." 

"  There  will  be  no  necessity  for  that,  my  lad,"  replied 
the  doctor;  "  you  may  eat  as  much  as  you  like,  and  here  is 
half-a-crown,  so  that  you  may  indulge  your  tastes  a  little." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  APPARATUS 

Doctor  Ferguson  had  been  occupied  for  a  long  time  in 
the  details  of  his  expedition.  One  can  quite  understand 
that  the  balloon,  the  wonderful  vehicle  destined  to  transport 
him  through  the  air,   was  the  object  of  his  solicitude. 

To  begin  with,  and  so  as  not  to  have  the  balloon  too 
large,  he  resolved  to  inflate  it  with  hydrogen  gas,  which  is 
14^  times  lighter  than  the  atmospheric  air.  This  gas  is 
easily  made,  and  by  its  use  has  been  the  means  of  obtain- 
ing the  best  aerostatic  observations. 

The  doctor,  after  careful  calculation,  found  that,  with  the 
indispensable  articles  of  the  journey,  clothes,  &c.,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  carry  a  weight  of  4,000  lbs.  He  must 
therefore  provide  an  ascensional  power  capable  of  lifting 
this  weight,  and  also  ascertain  what  its  capacity  would  be. 

A  weight  of  4,000  lbs.  is  represented  by  a  displacement 
of  44,877  cubic  feet  of  air;  in  other  words,  that  amount  of 
air  weighs  about  4,000  lbs. 

By  giving  to  his  balloon  the  capacity  of  44,877  cubic 
feet  of  air,  and  filling  it,  in  lieu  of  air,  with  hydrogen  gas 
(which,  being  143^  times  lighter  than  air,  would  not  weigh 
more  than  275  lbs.),  there  would  remain  a  difference  in 
the  equilibrium  to  the  amount  of  3,724  lbs.  This  is  the 
difference  between  the  weight  of  the  gas  in  the  balloon  and 
the  weight  of  the  exterior  air,  which  difference  constitutes 
the  ascensional  power  of  the  balloon. 

Now,  if  we  were  to  introduce  the  said  44,877  cubic  feet 
of  gas  into  the  balloon  it  would  be  completely  filled,  and 
that  would  never  do,  because  the  higher  the  balloon  rises 
into  the  atmosphere,  the  less  dense  is  the  air,  and  the  gas 
would  very  quickly  burst  the  covering.  So  a  balloon  is 
usually  filled  to  the  extent  of  two-thirds  its  capacity. 

But  the  doctor,  following  out  an  idea  of  his  own,  resolved 
to  fill  the  balloon  only  half  full,  and,  inasmuch  as  he  was 
obliged  to  carry  44,877  cubic  feet  of  hydrogen,  to  make  his 
balloon  almost  double  the  usual  size. 

He  designed  it  of  an  elongated  form,  which  appeared  to 
be  the  best.  The  horizontal  diameter  was  fifty  feet,  the 
vertical  diameter  seventy-five.  He  thus  obtained  a  spheroid 
capable  of  containing  (in  round  numbers)  90,000  cubic  feet 
of  gas. 

y,  I  Verne  2O8 


THE  MYSTERIOUS    APPARATUS         209 

If  Dr.  Ferguson  had  been  able  to  make  use  of  two 
balloons,  his  chances  of  success  would  have  been  increased, 
and  if  one  happened  to  burst  in  the  air,  he  could,  by  casting 
out  ballast,  save  himself  by  means  of  the  other.  But  the 
maneuvering  of  two  balloons  would  have  been  very  difficult 
when  it  was  necessary  to  preserve  an  equal  ascending  power 
in  both. 

After  much  reflection,  Ferguson,  by  an  ingenious  con- 
trivance, united  the  utility  of  two  balloons  without  their  in- 
convenience; he  constructed  two  of  unequal  size  and  en- 
closed one  within  the  other.  The  exterior  balloon,  in 
which  he  adhered  to  the  dimensions  given  above,  contained 
a  smaller  one  of  the  same  shape,  only  forty-five  and  sixty- 
eight  feet  respectively,  of  horizontal  and  vertical  diameter. 
The  capacity  of  this  interior  balloon  then  was  only  67,000 
cubic  feet.  It  floated  in  the  fluid  surrounding  it.  A  valve 
opened  from  one  balloon  to  the  other,  and  admitted  of  com- 
munication between  them. 

This  arrangement  had  this  advantage — viz.,  that  if  it 
were  at  any  time  necessary  to  let  the  gas  escape,  it  could  be 
let  off  from  the  larger  balloon.  Even  if  they  were  obliged 
to  empty  it  altogether,  the  smaller  one  would  remain  intact ; 
they  could  then  detach  the  exterior  covering — a  useless 
drag  on  them — and  the  second  balloon  by  itself  would  not 
ofYer  the  same  resistance  to  the  wind  as  a  partially-filled 
balloon. 

Furthermore,  if  by  accident  the  outer  balloon  were  in- 
jured, the  other  would  be  intact.  Both  balloons  were 
made  with  striped  taffetas  from  Lyons,  coated  with  gutta- 
percha. This  resinous-gummy  substance  is  perfectly  water- 
proof, and  is  unaffected  by  acids  or  gas.  The  taffetas  were 
placed  side  by  side  double,  stretching  upwards  to  the  top, 
where  almost  all  the  weight  was. 

This  envelope  could  retain  the  gas  for  an  unlimited 
period.  It  weighed  half  a  pound  to  nine  square  feet.  Now 
as  the  surface  of  the  exterior  balloon  was  about  11,600 
square  feet,  its  envelope  weighed  650  lbs.  The  envelope 
of  the  second  balloon  had  a  surface  of  9,200  cubic  feet,  and 
weighed  only  510  lbs.;  altogether  they  weighed  1,160  lbs. 

The  netting  to  hold  the  car  was  made  of  the  strongest 
hempen  cord;  the  valves  became  objects  of  the  most  minute 
care,  as  if  they  had  been  the  rudder  of  a  ship.     The  car  was 


2IO  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

of  circular  form,  and  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  of  osier, 
strengthened  by  a  light  iron  covering,  and  fastened  to  the 
lower  part  by  elastic  springs,  with  a  view  to  break  the  force 
of  concussion.  Its  weight,  including  the  net,  did  not  exceed 
280  pounds. 

The  doctor  caused  to  be  made  also  four  chests  of  sheet- 
iron  about  one-eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  These  were  joined 
together  by  tubes  furnished  with  taps.  He  added  a  coil 
about  two  inches  wide,  which  terminated  in  two  straight 
branches  of  unequal  lengths,  of  which  the  greater  was  twen- 
ty-five feet  high,  and  the  shorter  fifteen  feet  only.  The 
chests  were  fitted  into  the  car  so  as  to  occupy  the  least  pos- 
sible space.  The  large  tap,  not  easily  fitted,  was  packed 
separately,  as  well  as  a  large  galvanic  battery.  This  ap- 
paratus had  been  so  ingeniously  contrived  that  it  only 
weighed  700  pounds,  and  contained  as  much  as  twenty-five 
gallons  of  water  in  one  case  alone. 

The  instruments  prepared  for  the  journey  were  two 
barometers,  two  thermometers,  two  compasses,  a  sextant, 
two  chronometers,  an  artificial  horizon,  and  an  instrument 
to  take  the  levels  of  distant  and  inaccessible  objects.  He 
had  access  to  the  Greenwich  Observatory.  He,  however, 
did  not  propose  to  make  any  experiments  in  physics,  he 
wished  merely  to  become  acquainted  with  his  intended  route, 
and  to  determine  the  position  of  the  principal  rivers,  moun- 
tains, and  towns. 

He  provided  three  grapnels  of  well-tested  iron,  also  a 
silken  ladder,  tough  and  tight,  about  fifty  feet  in  length. 

He  also  estimated  the  weight  of  his  provisions;  they  con- 
sisted of  tea,  coffee,  biscuits,  salt  meat,  and  pemmican,  a 
preparation  which,  in  a  very  small  compass,  contains  a  great 
deal  of  nourishment.  Besides  a  reserve  of  brandy,  he  stowed 
away  two  tanks  of  water. 

The  consumption  of  these  viands  would,  by  degrees,  di- 
minish the  weight  of  the  balloon.  For  it  is  very  necessary 
to  know  that  in  the  air  a  balloon  is  sensible  of  the  least  dif- 
ference of  weight.  An  almost  inappreciable  loss  is  sufficient 
to  make  a  considerable  difference  in  displacement. 

The  doctor  had  not  forgotten  a  tent,  which  could  cover 
up  part  of  the  car;  neither  rugs,  which  composed  all  their 
bed-clothes  during  the  journey;  nor  the  rifles  and  ammuni- 
tion. 


THE  MYSTERIOUS    APPARATUS  211 

The  following  is  the  statement  of  his  different  calcula- 
tions : 

Ferguson   I35  lbs. 

Kennedy   I53 

Joe  120    " 

Weight  of  first  balloon 650 

Weight  of  second  balloon  510 

Car  and  netting .280 

Grapnels,  instruments,  guns,  rugs,  tent,  and  various  utensils.  190    " 

Meat,  pemmican,  biscuits,  tea,  coffee,  and  brandy 386    " 

Water    400    " 

Apparatus  700 

Weight  of  hydrogen  276    " 

Ballast  200    " 

Total 4,000  lbs. 

Such  was  the  detail  of  the  4,000  pounds  that  Doctor  Fer- 
guson proposed  to  raise.  He  only  carried  200  pounds  of 
ballast,  "  merely  for  a  contingency,"  said  he,  for,  thanks 
to  his  arrangements,  he  did  not  anticipate  to  be  obliged  to 
use  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE   FAREWELL  DINNER 

About  the  loth  of  February  the  preparations  were  near 
completion;  the  balloons,  enclosed  one  within  the  other, 
were  entirely  finished;  they  had  been  subjected  to  a  tre- 
mendous pressure,  and  this  "  proving  "  raised  high  opinions 
as  to  their  powers  of  endurance,  and  bore  witness  to  the  care 
brought  to  bear  upon  their  construction. 

Joe  was  beside  himself  with  joy;  he  was  perpetually  mov- 
ing between  Greek  Street  and  the  workshop  of  the  Messrs. 
Mitchell — always  busy,  but  always  in  good  spirits ;  volun- 
teering information  on  all  sides,  delighted  above  all  things 
to  accompany  his  master.  I  am  of  opinion  that,  to  show 
the  balloon,  to  explain  the  doctor's  ideas,  even  to  let  him  be 
seen  at  a  window  or  during  his  walk  through  the  streets, 
gained  this  worthy  lad  many  a  half-crown.  He  did  not 
intend  this  altogetlier,  but  he  certainly  had  the  right  to  profit 
a  little  by  the  admiration  and  curiosity  of  his  contemporaries. 

On  the  1 6th  February  the  Resolute  cast  anchor  at  Green- 
wich. She  was  a  screw  steamer  of  800  tons,  a  fast  sailer, 
and  had  been  commissioned  to  revictual  the  expedition  to 


212  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  Arctic  Regions  under  Sir  James  Ross.  Captain  Penney 
was  a  good-natured  man,  and  was  particularly  interested  in 
the  doctor's  journey,  which  he  saw  the  value  of  some 
time  before.  Penney  was  more  of  a  savant  than  a  sailor, 
but  that  did  not  mihtate  against  his  carrying  four  carronades 
on  board,  which,  however,  had  never  done  any  harm,  and 
only  made  the  least  warlike  of  reports. 

The  hold  of  the  Resolute  was  fitted  up  for  the  reception 
of  the  balloon.  It  was  put  on  board  most  carefully  on  the 
1 8th  February,  and  stowed  away  at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel 
so  as  to  avoid  the  chance  of  accident.  The  car  and  its  ac- 
cessories, the  grapnels,  the  ropes,  the  provisions,  the  water- 
tanks  (which  were  to  be  filled  on  arrival),  were  all  stowed 
under  the  eyes  of  Ferguson  himself.  They  also  put  on 
board  ten  tons  of  sulphuric  acid,  and  ten  tons  of  old  iron, 
for  the  manufacture  of  hydrogen  gas.  This  was  a  more 
than  sufficient  quantity,  but  it  was  necessary  to  guard  against 
possible  loss.  The  apparatus  for  developing  the  gas,  includ- 
ing about  thirty  barrels,  was  placed  in  the  hold. 

These  various  preparations  were  completed  by  the  evening 
of  the  1 8th  February.  Two  well-arranged  cabins  had  been 
prepared  for  the  doctor  and  Kennedy.  The  latter,  all  the 
time  vowing  that  he  would  not  go,  came  on  board  with  a 
perfect  armory  of  guns  and  rifles,  two  excellent  double- 
barreled  breech-loaders,  and  a  carbine,  tested  by  Purday, 
Moore,  and  Dickson,  of  Edinburgh.  With  such  a  weapon 
the  sportsman  would  have  no  difficulty  to  lodge  a  bullet  in 
the  eye  of  a  chamois  at  2,000  yards.  Added  to  these  he  had 
two  Colt's  "  six-shooters  "  with  the  latest  improvements ;  his 
powder-flask,  shot-pouch,  lead,  and  bullets  in  sufficient  quan- 
tity did  not  exceed  the  weight  laid  down  by  the  doctor. 

The  three  travelers  went  on  board  on  the  19th  February 
and  were  received  with  great  distinction  by  the  captain  and 
officers.  The  doctor  was  quite  self-possessed  but  unusually 
preoccupied  with  his  expedition.  Dick  was  much  moved, 
but  tried  not  to  betray  his  feelings.  Joe  jumped  about,  mak- 
ing absurd  remarks,  and  was  at  once  installed  as  the  wag 
of  the  forecastle,  where  a  berth  had  been  reserved  for  him. 
On  the  20th,  a  grand  farewell  dinner  was  given  in  honor 
of  Doctor  Ferguson  and  his  friend  Kennedy,  by  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society.  Captain  Penney  and  his  officers  had 
also  been  invited,  who  were  very  cheerful,  and  had  their 


THE  FAREWELL  DINNER  213 

healths  proposed  in  flattering  terms.  Healths  were  drank 
in  sufficient  number  to  ensure  for  each  guest  an  existence  of 
centuries.  Sir  Francis  M presided,  with  repressed  emo- 
tion, but  in  a  very  dignified  manner. 

To  the  unutterable  confusion  of  Dick  Kennedy,  he  came 
in  for  a  large  share  of  the  festive  compliments.  After 
having  drunk  to  "  the  bold  Ferguson,  the  glory  of  England," 
they  found  it  necessary  to  toast  "  the  no  less  courageous 
Kennedy,  his  brave  companion." 

Dick  blushed  deeply,  which  was  put  down  to  modesty; 
the  applause  was  redoubled.     Dick  blushed  still  more. 

A  telegram  from  the  Queen  was  received  at  dessert.  She 
presented  her  compliments  to  the  travelers,  and  her  good 
wishes  for  the  success  of  their  enterprise. 

This  incident  necessitated  a  new  toast  to  the  "  Health  of 
Her  Most  Gracious  Majesty." 

At  midnight,  after  the  most  touching  farewells  and  warm 
grasps  of  the  hand,  the  guests  separated. 

The  boats  of  the  Resolute  were  in  waiting  at  Westminster 
Bridge,  the  captain  took  his  place  in  company  with  his  of- 
ficers and  passengers,  and  a  rapid  ebb  tide  quickly  carried 
them  to  Greenwich.  At  one  o'clock  they  were  all  fast 
asleep  on  board. 

The  next  morning,  the  21st,  at  three  o'clock,  the  fires  were 
lighted;  at  five,  the  anchor  was  weighed,  and  with  the  as- 
sistance of  her  screw,  the  Resolute  threaded  her  way  to  the 
sea. 

There  is  no  necessity  for  us  to  repeat  the  conversation 
which,  on  board,  turned  solely  upon  Dr.  Ferguson's  expedi- 
tion. By  his  bearing,  equally  as  by  words,  he  inspired  such 
confidence  that,  save  the  Scot,  no  one  questioned  the  success 
of  his  undertaking.  During  the  long,  idle  hours  on  board, 
the  doctor  instituted  a  regular  geographical  lecture  in  the 
ward-room.  The  young  men  were  passionately  interested 
in  the  discoveries  which  had  been  made  during  forty  years  in 
Africa.  He  related  the  explorations  of  Barth,  Burton, 
Speke,  and  Grant ;  he  described  to  them  that  mysterious  land 
given  up  on  all  sides  to  scientific  research.  In  the  north  the 
young  Duveyrier  had  explored  the  Sahara,  and  brought 
back  the  Touareg  chiefs  to  Paris.  Two  expeditions,  under 
the  authority  of  the  French  Government,  were  being  pre- 
pared, which,  descending  from  the  north  to  the  west,  would 


it 


214  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

meet  at  Timbuctoo.  In  the  south  the  indefatigable  Living- 
stone was  continually  advancing  towards  the  equator,  and, 
since  March,  1862,  he  had  advanced  with  Mackenzie  up  the 
river  Rovoonia.  The  century  would  certainly  not  pass 
away  without  Africa  being  compelled  to  reveal  the  secrets 
hidden  in  her  breast  for  6,000  years. 

The  interest  of  Dr.  Ferguson's  audience  was  more  excited 
than  ever  when  he  made  them  acquainted  with  the  details 
of  his  preparations.  They  wanted  to  verify  his  calculations, 
they  argued,  and  the  doctor  entered  frankly  into  the  discus- 
sion. 

Generally  they  were  surprised  by  the  relatively  limited 
quantity  of  food  carried.  One  day  they  questioned  him  on 
this  point. 

Does  that  astonish  you?"  asked  the  doctor. 
Certainly  it  does." 

"  But  for  what  length  of  time  do  you  suppose  I  shall  con- 
tinue my  journey?  Whole  months?  That  is  a  mistake  on 
your  part.  If  it  be  extended  we  shall  be  lost,  and  shall  never 
get  back  at  all.  Are  you  not  aware  that  it  is  only  3,500 
miles,  say  4,000  miles,  from  Zanzibar  to  Senegal  coast? 
Now,  at  the  rate  of  240  miles  in  twelve  hours,  not  nearly  the 
speed  of  our  railways,  by  day  and  night,  seven  days  would 
be  ample  to  cross  the  African  continent." 

"  But  then  you  will  not  be  able  to  see  anything,  nor  to 
make  geographical  observations,  nor  to  take  notes  of  the 
country." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  if  I  be  master  of  my  bal- 
loon, if  I  can  ascend  or  descend  when  I  please,  I  shall  be  able 
to  halt  when  I  choose,  and  whenever  the  winds  are  so  violent 
as  to  threaten  my  safety." 

"  And  you  will  encounter  them,"  said  Captain  Penney. 
**  There  are  hurricanes  there  which  rush  at  the  rate  of  240 
miles  an  hour." 

"  So,  you  see,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  that  at  that  pace  you 
could  cross  Africa  in  twelve  hours.  You  might  start  from 
Zanzibar  and  sleep  at  St.  Louis." 

"  But,"  asked  an  officer,  "  is  it  possible  that  a  balloon  can 
be  impelled  at  such  a  pace?  " 

"  That  has  been  proved,"  replied  Ferguson. 

"And  the  balloon  resisted  the  pressure?" 
Perfectly.     It  occurred  during  the  year  1804.    Garnerin, 


(( 


THE  FAREWELL  DINNER  215 

the  aeronaut,  started  from  Paris  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  a 
balloon,  on  which  was  inscribed  in  golden  letters,  *  Paris, 
25th  month,  13th  year,  coronation  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
by  Pope  Pius  the  Seventh.'  The  following  morning,  at  five 
o'clock,  the  inhabitants  of  Rome  perceived  the  identical  bal- 
loon hovering  above  the  Vatican;  it  crossed  the  Campagna, 
and  fell  into  the  Lake  of  Bracciano.  So  you  see,  gentlemen, 
that  a  balloon  can  exist  in  such  a  rapid  transit," 

"A  balloon,  yes;  but  how  about  a  man?  "  Kennedy  asked. 

"Just  as  well.  For  a  balloon  is  always  motionless,  in 
consequence  of  the  air  surrounding  it.  It  is  not  the  man 
who  moves,  it  is  the  mass  of  the  air  itself;  so  that,  if  you 
were  to  light  a  candle  in  the  car,  the  flame  would  not  flicker. 
An  aeronaut  in  Garnerin's  balloon  would  not  have  suffered 
by  the  rate  of  progression.  However,  I  do  not  propose  to 
try  such  a  rapid  flight,  and  if  I  can  anchor  during  the  night 
to  some  tree  or  to  some  uneven  ground,  I  shall  be  all  right. 
We  shall  carry,  moreover,  provisions  for  tw^o  months,  and 
nothing  will  prevent  our  skillful  sportsman  here  from  shoot- 
ing any  quantity  of  game  when  we  get  to  the  ground." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Kennedy,  you  will,  indeed,  have  some  splendid 
sport,"  said  a  young  midshipman,  with  an  envious  glance 
at  the  Scotchman. 

"  Without  counting  the  double  pleasure  of  partaking  in 
the  glory  of  the  expedition,"  said  another. 

"  Gentlemen,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  I  am  very  sensible  of 
your  kind  compliments,  but  I  cannot  accept  them,  I  fear." 

**  Hallo,  what's  this!  "  was  heard  on  all  sides.  **  Do  you 
not  intend  to  go?  " 

"  I  shall  not  go." 

"You  will  not  accompany  Doctor  Ferguson?" 

"  Not  only  shall  I  not  go  with  him,  but  I  am  here  for  the 
express  purpose  of  stopping  him  even  at  the  last  moment!  " 

Everyone  looked  at  the  doctor. 

"  Don't  listen  to  him,"  said  Ferguson  calmly.  "  It  is  a 
subject  we  never  need  discuss  with  him.  He  knows  per- 
fectly well  at  heart  that  he  will  go ! " 

"  By  St.  Andrew,"  cried  Kennedy,  "  I  swear " 

"  Don't  swear,  Dick,  my  friend ;  you  have  been  measured 
and  weighed,  you  and  your  powder  and  shot,  your  guns  and 
your  rifles,  so  there  is  no  use  talking  about  it." 

And  it  is  a  fact  that,  from  that  day  until  the  day  they 


2i6  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A"  BALLOON 

ireached  Zanzibar,  Diclc  did  not  open  his  mouth  upon  that 
subject  or  any;  other.    Dick  was  dumb ! 


CHAPTER  IX 

DOUBLING  THE  CAPE 

The  Resolute  made  rapid  progress  towards  the  Cape, 
meeting  with  fine  weather,  but  with  occasionally  heavy 
seas.  Upon  the  30th  March,  twenty-seven  days  after  they 
had  left  London,  Table  Mountain  appeared  upon  the  hor- 
izon. Cape  Town,  situated  at  the  foot  of  an  amphitheater 
of  hills,  could  be  distinguished  by  the  glasses,  and  the  i^^"^- 
'plute  soon  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor.  But  the  captain  only 
waited  to  "  coal,"  which  was  accomplished  in  a  day,  and 
upon  the  following  one  the  ship's  head  was  put  to  the  south 
to  double  the  most  southerly  point  of  Africa  and  enter  the 
Mozambique  Channel. 

As  this  was  by  no  means  Joe's  first  voyage,  he  very  soon, 
made  himself  at  home  on  board.  Everyone  liked  him  for 
his  frankness  and  good  humor.  No  inconsiderable  portion 
of  his  master's  fame  was  reflected  upon  him,  he  was  lis- 
tened to  as  an  oracle,  and  he  had  not  the  slightest  doubt 
that  he  was  anything  else. 

Now,  while  the  doctor  was  continuing  his  course  of  lec- 
tures in  the  cabin,  Joe  was  mounted  on  the  forecastle  telling 
stories  in  his  own  way,  a  proceeding  in  imitation  of  the 
greatest  writers  of  all  ages.  The  subject  of  the  aerial  voy- 
age was  naturally  discussed.  Joe  had  had  some  trouble  to 
overcome  the  stubborn  spirits  of  his  companions;  but  now 
the  enterprise  was  an  accepted  fact,  the  imagination  of  the 
sailors,  stimulated  by  Joe's  stories,  believed  everything  to  be 
possible. 

This  dazzling  narrator  had  persuaded  his  hearers  that 
after  this  voyage  there  would  be  many  more  undertaken. 
it  was  only  the  commencement  of  a  long  series  of  super- 
human expeditions.  "  Don't  you  see,  my  friends,  that  when 
one  has  had  a  taste  of  this  kind  of  locomotion  one  can  be  no 
longer  contented,  so  in  our  next  expedition,  instead  of  going 
sideways,  we  shall  go  directly  upwards." 

"  What!  right  up  into  the  moon,  then?  "  cried  his  aston- 
ished audience. 


DOUBLING  THE  CAPE  217 


(( 


Into  the  moon?"  rejoined  Joe;  "no,  faith,  that  is  too 
commonplace.  Everybody  now  goes  up  to  the  moon.  More- 
over, there  is  no  water  there,  and  one  would  be  obliged  to 
carry  a  quantity  of  provisions,  and  even  air  in  bottles  to 
be  able  to  breathe." 

"  Well,  it  would  be  all  right  if  one  could  find  some  grog 
up  there,"  said  a  sailor  who  had  only  lately  experienced  the 
taste  of  that  mixture. 

"  That's  enough,  my  lad,  we  shall  not  go  to  the  moon,  but 
we  shall  sail  about  amongst  the  stars  in  the  midst  of  those 
beautiful  planets  of  which  my  master  has  often  spoken  tcj 
me.     We  shall  commence  by  visiting  Saturn." 

"  That  one  with  the  ring?  "  asked  the  quartermaster. 

"  Yes,  a  \yedding-ring,  only  no  one  knows  what  has  be- 
come of  his  wife." 

"Hullo!  are  you  going  so  far  as  that?"  said  a  cabin- 
boy,  utterly  astounded.  "  Why  your  master  must  be  the 
devil  in  person !  " 

"  The  devil !  oh  dear  no ;  he  is  too  good  for  that." 

"  But  where  are  you  going  after  Saturn?  "  asked  one  of 
the  most  impatient  of  the  audience. 

"  After  Saturn?  Well,  we  shall  visit  Jupiter,  a  most  ex- 
traordinary country,  where  the  days  are  only  nine  hours  and 
a  half  long,  which  is  a  great  blessing  for  idle  people;  and 
where  the  years,  by-the-by,  last  as  long  as  twelve  of  ours, 
which  is  a  great  source  of  satisfaction  to  people  who  have 
only  six  months  to  live.  That  gives  them  a  little  longer  lease 
of  hfe." 

"  Twelve  years !  "  exclaimed  the  cabin  boy. 

"  Yes,  my  boy ;  so  in  that  country  you  would  not  be  weaned' 
yet,  and  that  old  fellow  over  there,  who  is  nearly  fifty, 
would  be  only  a  child  four  years  and  a  half  old." 

"  That  is  not  true!  "  cried  all  the  men. 

"  Perfectly  true !  "  said  Joe,  with  assurance.  "  But  what 
can  you  expect  if  you  will  persist  in  vegetating  in  this  world? 
You  learn  nothing,  and  you  remain  as  ignorant  as  a  por- 
poise. Come  up  to  Jupiter  for  a  little,  and  you  will  see. 
You  must  hold  on  pretty  tight  up  there,  for  there  are  satel- 
lites knocking  about  which  are  occasionally  inconvenient." 

They  laughed  at  this,  but  they  did  not  half  believe  him. 
Then  he  spoke  to  them  about  Neptune,  where  sailors  were 
always  so  well  received,  and  of  Mars,  where  soldiers  take 


2i8  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  wall,  which  conduct  on  their  part  invariably  leads  to  a 
fight  As  for  Mercury,  it  is  a  wretched  place,  full  of  rob- 
bers and  tradesmen,  who  are  so  much  alike,  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  distinguish  one  from  the  other.  Finally,  he  drew 
them  a  truly  enchanting  picture  of  Venus;  "  and  when  we 
shall  have  returned  from  that  expedition  we  shall  be  dec- 
orated with  the  Southern  Cross." 

"  And  well  you  will  have  won  it,"  cried  the  sailors. 

Thus,  in  animated  conversation,  the  long  evenings  were 
passed  on  the  forecastle.  All  this  time  the  interesting  con- 
versations with  the  doctor  continued. 

One  day,  when  they  were  conversing  respecting  the  guid- 
ance of  balloons,  Ferguson  was  asked  to  give  his  opinion  on 
the  question. 

"  I  do  not  think,"  he  said,  "  that  we  shall  ever  be  able  to 
direct  the  course  of  a  balloon.  I  am  acquainted  with  all  the 
systems  which  have  been  proposed  or  attempted.  Not  one 
has  succeeded;  not  one  is  practicable.  You  may  very  well 
imagine  that  I  have  myself  been  engaged  in  this  matter, 
which  ought  to  possess  a  very  great  interest  for  me,  but  I 
have  never  been  able  to  solve  it  by  means  of  our  present 
knowledge  of  mechanics.  It  would  be  necessary  to  discover 
a  motive  power  of  extraordinary  strength  and  of  an  impos- 
sible lightness.  Even  then,  one  could  not  resist  any  consid- 
erable currents.  As  it  is,  one  is  much  more  anxious  to  direct 
the  car  than  the  balloon.     That's  a  mistake." 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  someone,  "  there  is  a  great  resem- 
blance between  the  balloon  and  a  ship,  which  can  be  guided 
at  will." 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  Doctor  Ferguson ;  "  there  is  little  or 
no  resemblance.  Air  is  infinitely  less  dense  than  water,  in 
which,  moreover,  a  ship  is  only  half  submerged,  while  the 
balloon  is  entirely  surrounded  by  the  atmosphere,  and  re- 
mains stationary  on  account  of  the  fluid  which  encircles  it." 

"  Then  you  are  of  opinion  that  science  is  exhausted  upon 
that  point.?  " 

"  Not  so,  not  so ;  it  has  become  necessary  to  look  for  other 
means  by  which,  if  a  balloon  cannot  be  guided,  it  can  be  kept 
up  in  favorable  atmospheric  currents.  As  one  rises  higher, 
these  currents  become  more  uniform,  and  are  more  constant 
in  their  direction,  as  they  are  not  interfered  with  by  the 
valleys  and  mountains  which  intersect  the  face  of  the  earth; 


DOUBLING  THE  CAPE  219 

and  here  is  the  principal  cause,  as  you  are  aware,  of  the 
changes  of  the  force  and  direction  of  the  wind.  Now  once 
these  zones  have  been  determined,  the  balloon  will  only  have 
to  be  placed  in  the  currents  which  will  be  met  there." 

"  But,"  replied  the  captain,  "  to  hit  upon  these  currents 
you  must  be  always  ascending  or  descending.  There  is  the 
true  difficulty,  my  dear  doctor." 

"  Why,  my  dear  captain  ?  " 

"  Let  us  understand  each  other ;  it  would  only  be  an  ob- 
stacle in  the  way  of  long  journeys,  not  for  small  ascents." 

"  Your  reasons,  if  you  please?  " 

"  Because  you  can  only  ascend  by  throwing  out  ballast, 
you  can  only  descend  by  letting  the  gas  escape;  and  under 
these  circumstances  your  store  of  gas  would  be  very  soon 
exhausted." 

"  My  dear  Penney,  that  is  the  point  of  the  whole  thing. 
There  is  the  difficulty  which  science  should  endeavor  to  over- 
come. It  is  not  a  question  of  directing  the  course  of  a  bal- 
loon so  much,  as  it  is  a  question  of  moving  up  and  down 
without  losing  the  gas,  which  is  the  strength,  the  blood,  the 
soul,  so  to  speak,  of  a  balloon." 

"  Quite  right,  doctor;  but  this  difficulty  is  not  overcome; 
the  means  to  accomplish  this  have  not  yet  been  found." 

"  Excuse  me,  they  have  been." 

"By  whom?" 

"  By  me." 

"By  you!" 

"  Why,  you  must  understand  that  without  this  power  I 
should  not  have  run  the  risks  of  crossing  Africa  in  a  balloon. 
Why,  in  about  twenty-four  hours  I  should  have  had  no  gas 
left." 

"  But  you  have  never  spoken  of  this  in  England !  " 

"  No,  I  did  not  think  it  desirable  to  discuss  it  in  public. 
That  seemed  to  me  useless.  I  made  secretly  some  prehm- 
inary  experiments,  and  I  am  satisfied.  I  have  not  any  need 
of  learning  anything  further  on  that  point." 

"  My  dear  Ferguson,  may  one  ask  to  be  made  acquainted 
with  your  secrets?  " 

"  Here  it  is,  gentlemen,  and  my  plan  is  a  very  simple  one." 

The  curiosity  of  the  audience  was  raised  to  the  highest 
pitch,  while  the  doctor  calmly  addressed  himself  to  his  sub- 
ject as  follows. 


CHAPTER  X 

PRELIMINARY  EXPERIMENTS 


(( 


Attempts  have  been  made  frequently,  gentlemen,  to 
ascend  and  descend  at  will,  without  losing  the  gas  in  a  bal- 
loon. A  French  aeronaut,  M.  Meumier,  attempted  to  do 
this  by  compressing  the  air,  A  Belgian,  Dr.  Van  Hecke, 
by  means  of  wings  and  paddles,  gained  a  vertical  force, 
which  has  proved  ineffective  in  the  majority  of  instances. 
The  practical  results  obtained  by  the  above  means  are  in- 
significant. 

"  I  then  resolved  to  go  Into  the  question  boldly,  and  at 
once  put  the  ballast  on  one  side,  if  it  were  not  a  case  of  ab- 
solute necessity  as  to  the  breaking  of  my  apparatus,  or  in 
case  of  being  obliged  to  rise  suddenly  to  avoid  any  obstacle. 

"  My  means  of  ascent  and  descent  consist  equally  in  the 
dilation  or  contraction  by  varying  temperatures  of  the  gas 
confined  in  the  balloon.     And  this  Is  how  I  manage  it. 

"  You  have  already  seen  put  on  board  certain  chests  with 
the  car,  of  which  you  did  not  understand  the  utility.  These 
chests  are  five  in  number. 

"  The  first  contains  about  twenty-five  gallons  of  water, 
to  which  I  add  sulphuric  acid  to  increase  its  conductibility, 
and  I  resolve  it  into  Its  component  parts  by  means  of  a 
strong  Bautzen  galvanic  battery.  Water,  as  you  are  aware, 
is  composed  of  two  volumes  hydrogen  gas  to  one  of  oxygen. 

"  The  oxygen  under  the  battery  action  goes  off  by  the 
positive  pole  into  a  second  chest.  A  third  chest,  placed  on 
the  top  of  it,  and  of  about  twice  the  size,  receives  the  hydro- 
gen which  enters  it  by  the  negative  pole. 

"  Two  taps,  one  of  which  has  an  opening  double  that  of 
the  other,  keep  up  a  communication  between  these  two  cases 
and  a  fourth,  which  is  known  as  the  mixing  chest.  Here  In 
fact  the  gases  arising  from  the  decomposition  of  the  water 
mingle  together.  The  capacity  of  this  chest  is  about  forty- 
one  cubic  feet.  In  the  upper  part  of  it  Is  a  platinum  tube 
with  a  stop-cock. 

"  You  will  already  have  perceived,  gentlemen,  that  the 
apparatus  I  have  described  is  nothing  more  than  an  oxy- 
hydrogen  blow-pipe,  the  heat  evolved  by  which  surpasses 
that  of  a  forge  fire. 

"  That  matter  settled,  I  pass  on  to  the  second  part  of  the 
apparatus. 

220 


PRELIMINARY  EXPERIMENTS  221 

"  From  the  lower  part  of  my  balloon,  which  is  hermet- 
ically closed,  two  tubes  pass  out  at  a  short  distance  from 
each  other.  One  of  these  leads  from  the  upper  volume  of 
hydrogen,  the  other  from  the  lower.  They  both  descend  as 
far  as  the  car,  and  terminate  in  a  cylindrical  iron  chest  called 
the  heat  chest.  It  is  closed  at  each  extremity  by  a  strong 
disc  of  the  same  metal. 

"  The  tube  from  the  lower  part  of  the  balloon  enters  the 
cylindrical  chest  through  the  lower  disc,  and  there  assumes 
the  shape  of  a  coil,  whose  upper  rings  occupy  nearly  the 
entire  height  of  the  box.  Before  leaving  the  chest,  the  coil 
is  led  into  a  little  cone,  whose  base,  concave,  like  a  round 
cap,  is  directed  downwards. 

"  It  is  at  the  top  of  this  cone  that  the  second  tube  makes 
its  exit,  and  it  terminates,  as  I  have  said,  in  the  upper  folds 
of  the  balloon. 

"  The  spherical  cap  of  the  little  cone  is  made  of  platinum, 
so  that  it  may  not  be  melted  under  the  action  of  the  blow- 
pipe, for  this  is  placed  at  the  bottom  of  the  iron  case  in  the 
center  of  the  coil,  and  the  flame  lightly  licks  this  cap. 

"  You  know  those  stoves  used  for  warming  rooms?  You 
know  how  they  act?  The  air  of  the  room  is  forced  through 
the  tubes  and  comes  back  warmer.  So  that  what  I  have 
been  describing  is,  after  all,  only  a  stove. 

"  And,  in  fact,  what  takes  place?  Once  the  blow-pipe  is 
lighted,  the  hydrogen  is  warmed  and  rises  rapidly  by  the  tube 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  balloon.  A  vacuum  is  caused  below, 
and  the  gas  from  the  lower  part  is  attracted  to  fill  it,  which, 
in  its  turn,  is  warmed,  and  is  continually  replaced,  so  that 
an  extremely  rapid  current  of  gas  is  generated,  leaving  the 
balloon,  returning,  and  being  warmed  without  cessation. 

"  Now,  gases  increase  1/480  of  their  volume  for  every  de- 
gree of  heat.  If,  then,  I  create  a  temperature  of  18°,  the 
hydrogen  in  the  balloon  will  increase  18/480,  or  1,614  cubic 
feet;  it  will  then  displace  1,674  cubic  feet  of  air  more,  which 
will  increase  its  power  of  ascent  160  pounds.  That  comes, 
then,  to  the  same  weight  of  ballast.  If  I  increase  the  tem- 
perature to  180°,  the  gas  expands  180/480,  it  displaces  6,740 
cubic  feet,  and  the  ascending  force  amounts  to  1,600  pounds. 

"  You  can  understand,  gentlemen,  that  I  am  easily  able  to 
obtain  considerable  changes  of  equilibrium.  The  volume  of 
my  balloon  has  been  calculated  in  such  a  way  that,  when  half 


222  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

inflated,  it  displaces  a  weight  of  air  exactly  equal  to  the 
envelope  of  hydrogen  gas  and  of  the  car  occupied  by  the 
travelers  and  their  belongings.  At  this  point  of  inflation  it 
is  in  exact  equilibrium  in  the  air;  it  will  neither  rise  nor  fall. 

"  In  order  to  ascend,  I  bring  the  gas  to  a  temperature 
higher  than  the  ambient  temperature,  by  means  of  my  blow- 
pipe; by  this  access  of  heat,  a  strong  tension  is  created,  and 
fills  the  balloon,  which  rises  so  long  as  I  expand  the  hy- 
drogen. 

"  The  descent  is,  naturally,  made  by  moderating  the  heat, 
and  permitting  the  temperature  to  cool.  The  ascent  will 
generally  be  much  more  rapid  than  the  descent.  But  that 
is  a  very  good  feature,  for  one  never  wants  to  descend 
quickly,  and  it  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  quick  upward  movement 
by  which  I  avoid  danger  beneath  me,  not  above  the  balloon. 

"  However,  as  already  hinted,  I  have  a  certain  quantity  of 
ballast  which  can  be  got  rid  of,  and  enable  me  to  rise  still 
more  quickly  if  desirable.  The  valve  at  the  top  is  only  a 
safety-valve.  The  balloon  itself  looks  after  its  supply  of 
hydrogen;  the  variations  of  temperature  which  I  can  pro- 
duce in  the  center  of  the  gas  reservoir  are  only  applied  to 
the  ascending  and  descending  movements. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  I  will  just  add  a  few  practical  details. 

"  The  combustion  of  hydrogen  and  oxygen  at  the  end  of 
the  blow-pipe  produces  only  watery  vapor.  I  have  there- 
fore provided  the  lower  part  of  the  cylindrical  case  with  an 
escape-pipe  acting  with  the  pressure  of  two  atmospheres. 
Consequently,  so  soon  as  that  pressure  has  been  reached, 
the  vapor  makes  its  escape  of  its  ov/n  accord. 

"  Here  are  the  exact  figures. 

"  Twenty-five  gallons  of  water,  resolved  into  their  con- 
stituent elements,  yield  200  pounds  of  oxygen  and  25  pounds 
of  hydrogen.  That  represents,  at  the  tension  of  the  air, 
1,890  cubic  feet  of  the  former  and  3,780  cubic  feet  of  the 
latter;  altogether,  670  cubic  feet  of  the  mingled  gases. 

"  Now  the  top  of  the  blow-pipe,  fully  open,  gives  twenty- 
seven  cubic  feet  per  hour,  with  a  flame  at  least  six  times 
more  powerful  than  the  largest  lamp.  On  an  average,  then, 
and  so  as  not  to  be  too  high  up,  I  shall  only  burn  nine  cubic 
feet  in  the  hour,  so  my  twenty-five  gallons  of  water  repre- 
sents 630  hours  of  aerial  navigation,  or  rather  more  than 
twenty-six  days. 


PRELIMINARY  EXPERIMENTS  223 

"  As  I  can  descend  at  pleasure  and  obtain  water  on  my 
route,  my  journey  is  practically  indefinite. 

"  There  is  my  secret,  gentlemen ;  it  is  very  simple,  and, 
like  all  simple  things,  it  cannot  but  succeed.  My  plan  is 
only  the  extension  and  contraction  of  the  gas  in  the  balloon, 
which  necessitates  no  wings  nor  mechanical  power  of  mo- 
tion. A  stove  to  produce  changes  of  temperature  and  a 
blow-pipe  to  warm  it  are  neither  heavy  nor  in  the  way. 
I  believe  that  I  have  overcome  all  the  serious  difficulties  of 
the  undertaking." 

Here  Doctor  Ferguson  ended  his  discourse,  and  was 
heartily  applauded.  No  one  had  any  objections  to  advance. 
Everything  appeared  provided  for  and  carried  out. 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  the  captain,  "  it  may  be  very  dan- 
gerous." 

"  What  does  that  matter,"  rejoined  the  doctor,  "  if  it  be 
practicable  ?  " 

CHAPTER  XI 

ARRIVAL  AT  ZANZIBAR 

Favoring  breezes  had  hurried  the  Resolute  towards  her 
destination.  The  Mozambique  Channel  proved  particularly 
kind  to  her.  The  sea  voyage  was  held  as  a  good  omen  for 
the  success  of  the  air  journey.  Everyone  on  board  wished 
for  the  moment  of  arrival,  and  vied  in  assisting  Doctor 
Ferguson  in  his  final  preparations. 

At  length  the  vessel  came  in  sight  of  the  town  of  Zan- 
zibar, situated  upon  the  island  of  the  same  name,  and  on 
the  I5tii  April,  at  11  a.  m._,  she  cast  anchor  in  the  harbor. 

Zanzibar  belongs  to  the  Imaum  of  Muscat,  an  ally  of 
England  and  France,  and  it  is  certainly  a  beautiful  posses- 
sion. The  harbor  shelters  a  great  number  of  ships  hailing 
from  neighboring  ports.  The  island  is  only  separated  from 
the  mainland  by  a  channel  about  thirty  miles  wide. 

Zanzibar  enjoys  a  large  traffic  in  gum,  ivory,  and,  above 
all,  ebony,  for  it  is  a  celebrated  slave  market.  Here  are 
concentrated  all  the  booty  taken  in  the  battles  which  are 
being  incessantly  waged  by  the  chiefs  in  the  interior.  This 
traffic  extends  to  the  whole  eastern  coast,  almost  up  to  the 
Nile  region,  and  M.  Lejean  has  seen  them  carrying  on  the 
traffic  close  to  the  French  consul's  residence. 


224  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

So  soon  as  the  Resolute  had  arrived  the  Enghsh  consul 
came  on  board,  to  offer  his  assistance  to  the  doctor  whose 
intentions  the  European  journals  had  some  time  before  an- 
nounced. But  up  to  that  time  the  consul  had  enrolled 
himself  among  the  skeptics. 

"  I  confess  I  did  doubt  you,"  said  he,  extending  his 
hand  to  Doctor  Ferguson,  "  but  I  doubt  no  longer." 

He  placed  his  house  at  the  disposal  of  the  doctor,  of 
Kennedy,  and,  naturally,  of  Joe  also.  While  enjoying  these 
attentions  the  doctor  saw  several  letters  which  the  consul 
had  received  from  Captain  Speke.  The  captain  and  his 
companions  had  undergone  terrible  sufferings  from  hunger 
and  bad  weather  before  reaching  the  territory  of  Ugogo. 
They  only  advanced  with  extreme  difficulty,  and  gave  up 
all  hope  of  forwarding  intelligence  quickly. 

"  Those  are  some  of  the  perils  and  privations  which  we 
shall  avoid,"  said  the  doctor. 

The  baggage  of  the  three  travelers  was  sent  up  to  the 
consul's  house.  They  made  preparations  to  land  the  balloon 
upon  the  beach  at  Zanzibar;  they  had  there  fixed  upon  a 
convenient  spot  close  to  the  signal  station,  near  to  an  enor- 
mous building  which  sheltered  them  from  the  east  wind. 
This  immense  tower,  like  a  tun  standing  on  end,  and  com- 
pared to  which  the  great  tun  of  Heidelberg  is  but  a  small 
barrel,  was  used  as  a  fort,  and  upon  the  platforms  Be- 
loutchis,  armed  with  lances,  kept  watch — a  lazy,  noisy  gar- 
rison. 

But  when  the  balloon  was  about  to  be  landed,  the  consul 
was  warned  that  the  population  of  the  island  would  oppose 
the  disembarkation  by  force.  This  was  only  their  blind 
fanatical  passions  showing  themselves.  The  news  of  the 
arrival  of  a  Christian,  who  was  about  to  rise  up  into  the  air, 
was  received  with  much  irritation.  The  blacks,  more  ex- 
cited than  the  Arabs,  saw  in  this  project  intentions  hostile 
to  their  religion,  for  they  imagined  the  white  men  were 
about  to  go  up  to  the  sun  and  moon.  As  the  sun  and  moon 
are  both  worshiped  by  the  African  tribes,  these  people 
determined  to  oppose  this  sacrilegious  expedition.  The 
consul  being  acquainted  with  these  intentions  of  the  negroes, 
conferred  respecting  them  with  the  doctor  and  Captain 
Penney.  The  latter  had  no  desire  to  yield  to  menace,  but 
his  friend  caused  him  to  regard  it  in  a  different  light. 

V.  I  Verne 


ARRIVAL  AT  ZANZIBAR  225 

"  We  shall  accomplish  our  object,"  said  he,  "  and  even 
the  Imaum's  soldiers  would  assist  us  if  necessary;  but  my 
dear  captain,  an  accident  very  easily  occurs — an  unfortunate 
blow  would  do  irreparable  damage  to  the  balloon,  and  the 
journey  would  be  hopelessly  deferred;  it  is  much  better  to 
take  precautionary  measures." 

"  But  what  can  you  do?  If  we  disembark  anywhere  on 
the  coast,  it  will  be  all  the  same.    What  can  you  do?  " 

"  Nothing  easier  to  answer,"  said  the  consul.  "  Do  you 
perceive  those  islands  outside  the  harbor?  Disembark  your 
balloon  there,  establish  a  cordon  of  sailors  round  you,  and 
you  will  have  nothing  to  fear." 

"  Capital,"  cried  the  doctor,  "  and  we  shall  be  able  to 
make  our  preparations  in  comfort." 

The  captain  yielded  to  this  advice.  The  Resolute  hauled 
up  alongside  the  island  of  Koumbeni.  During  the  morning 
of  the  1 6th  April  the  balloon  was  safely  bestowed  in  the 
midst  of  an  open  space,  shaded  from  the  sun  by  large  sur- 
rounding trees. 

Two  masts,  each  twenty-eight  feet  high,  were  placed  at 
some  distance  apart,  and  pulleys  fixed  to  them,  so  as  to 
raise  the  balloon  to  the  center  of  the  rope  stretched  between 
them.  The  balloons  were  quite  empty.  The  inner  one 
was  fastened  to  the  top  of  the  outer  one,  so  that  it  could 
be  raised  with  it. 

To  the  lower  extremity  of  each  balloon  were  fixed  the 
tubes  for  the  introduction  of  the  hydrogen.  The  whole  of 
the  17th  was  passed  in  arranging  the  apparatus  for  making 
the  gas.  It  consisted  of  thirty  casks,  in  which  the  decom- 
position of  the  water  was  carried  on  by  means  of  iron  and 
sulphuric  acid  mixed  with  a  quantity  of  water.  The  hydro- 
gen gave  off  into  a  vast  vat  in  the  center,  having  been 
purified  in  transit,  and  thence  it  passed  into  the  balloons 
through  the  tubes.  In  this  manner  each  was  filled  with  an 
accurately-known  quantity  of  gas.  In  this  operation  1,866 
gallons  of  sulphuric  acid,  16,500  pounds  of  iron,  and  966 
gallons  of  water  were  employed. 

This  operation  was  begun  about  three  o'clock  on  the 
following  morning,  and  continued  till  eight.  The  next  day 
the  balloons,  covered  by  the  net,  were  balanced  gracefully 
above  the  car,  which  was  held  down  by  a  number  of  bags 
of  earth.     The  apparatus  for  the  dilation  was  put  in  with 


226  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

great  care,  and  the  pipes  leading  from  the  balloon  were 
fastened  into  the  cylindrical  chest. 

The  grapnels,  ropes,  instruments,  rugs,  tent,  the  provi- 
sions, and  arms  were  placed  in  the  car  as  previously  ar- 
ranged. Water  was  provided  at  Zanzibar.  Two  hundred 
pounds  of  ballast  w^re  taken  in  in  fifty  sacks,  and  placed  at 
the  bottom  of  the  car  within  reach.  The  preparations  were 
ended  about  5  p.  m.  The  sentinels  patroled  continually 
around  the  island,  and  the  boats  of  the  Resolute  kept  watch 
in  the  channel. 

The  negroes  continued  to  display  their  anger  by  cries, 
grimaces,  and  contortions.  The  sorcerers  w^ent  about 
amongst  the  excited  people  fanning  their  indignation. 
Some  fanatics  endeavored  to  swim  across  to  the  island, 
but  they  were  easily  repulsed. 

Then  the  charms  and  incantations  commenced.  The 
rain-compellers,  who  pretended  to  be  able  to  control  the 
clouds,  summoned  up  hurricanes  and  hailstones  to  their 
assistance.  For  that  object  they  collected  leaves  of  all  the 
different  trees  in  the  country  and  made  a  fire,  and  sacri- 
ficed a  sheep  by  driving  a  long  needle  into  its  heart.  But, 
notwithstanding  their  ceremonies,  the  sky  continued  cloud- 
less, and  they  were  no  better  for  their  sheep  and  their  grim- 
aces. 

The  negroes  then  abandoned  themselves  to  the  most 
terrible  orgies,  and  got  tremendously  drunk  with  "  tembo," 
a  potent  spirit  derived  from  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  or  upon  a 
very  "  heady  "  species  of  beer  called  "  togwa."  Their  songs 
without  melody,  but  of  correct  rhythm,  were  heard  all 
through  the  night. 

About  6  P.  M.  a  farewell  dinner  was  given  to  the  three 
travelers  on  board  the  Resolute.  Kennedy,  to  whom  no- 
body addressed  many  questions,  muttered  some  indistinct 
sentences,  and  never  took  his  gaze  from  Doctor  Ferguson. 
This  was  a  very  melancholy  repast.  The  near  approach 
of  the  moment  for  parting  inspired  many  sad  reflections  in 
everyone.  What  fate  was  in  store  for  these  venturesome 
travelers?  Would  they  ever  return  to  their  friends  and 
their  happy  homes?  If  their  means  of  transport  failed, 
what  would  become  of  them  in  the  midst  of  savage  tribes 
in  an  unknown  territory  in  the  embrace  of  an  illimitable 
desert. 


ARRIVAL  AT  ZANZIBAR  227 

These  fancies,  hitherto  put  in  the  background,  and  to 
which  they  had  attached  httle  importance,  now  began  to 
prey  upon  their  already  excited  feehngs.  Doctor  Ferguson, 
always  cool  and  collected,  spoke  of  other  things  and  other 
people,  but  even  he  struggled  in  vain  to  dissipate  the  pre- 
vailing sadness;  he  could  not  overcome  that. 

As  some  fears  had  been  expressed  respecting  the  safety 
of  the  doctor  and  his  companions,  they  slept  that  night  on 
board  the  Resolute.  At  6  a.  m.  they  quitted  their  cabin  and 
landed  on  the  island  of  Koumbeni.  The  balloon  floated 
gracefully  in  the  light  easterly  breeze.  The  bags  of  earth 
had  been  replaced  by  twenty  sailors.  Captain  Penney  and 
his  officers  were  present  at  this  last  solemn  farewell. 

At  this  moment  Kennedy  walked  up  to  the  doctor,  and 
took  his  hand.  "  Is  it  really  decided,  Samuel,  that  you  are 
going?" 

"  It  is  really  decided,  my  dear  Dick." 

"  I  have  done  all  I  could  to  hinder  your  voyage  ?  " 

"  Everything !  " 

"  Then  my  conscience  is  clear,  and  I  shall  go  with  you !  " 

"  I  was  sure  you  would,"  replied  the  doctor,  as  the  tears 
started  to  his  eyes. 

The  moment  for  the  final  adieu  had  now  arrived.  The 
captain  and  his  officers  all  embraced  their  courageous 
friends,  not  excepting  the  worthy  Joe,  proud  and  joyful  that 
day.  All  the  sailors  wished  to  shake  hands  with  Doctor 
Ferguson. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  three  traveling  companions  took 
their  places  in  the  car.  The  doctor  lighted  his  blow-pipe, 
and  heated  it  so  as  to  produce  a  high  temperature.  The 
balloon,  which  had  hitherto  remained  in  eqmlibrio,  began  to 
sway.  The  sailors  were  obliged  to  slacken  the  ropes  they 
held.    The  car  ascended  twenty  feet. 

"  My  friends,"  cried  the  doctor,  coming  forward  and 
waving  his  hat,  "  let  us  give  our  aerial  vessel  a  name  which 
carries  happiness  everywhere — let  us  call  it  the  *  Vic- 
toria!'" 

A  ringing  cheer  was  the  reply.  "  God  save  the  Queen ! 
Hurrah  for  Old  England !  " 

At  this  moment  the  ascending  force  reached  a  tremen- 
dous pitch.  Ferguson,  Kennedy,  and  Joe  waved  a  last 
adieu  to  their  friends. 


228  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"Let  go,  all!"  cried  the  doctor.  And  the  "Victoria" 
rose  rapidly,  while  the  four  carronades  of  the  Resolute 
thundered  out  a  salute  as  she  glided  upwards  on  her  perilous 
journey. 

CHAPTER  XII 

CROSSING  THE  STRAITS 

The  air  was  clear,  the  wind  was  moderate,  the  "Vic- 
toria "  mounted  almost  perpendicularly  to  a  height  of  1,500 
feet,  which  was  indicated  by  a  depression  of  nearly  two 
inches  in  the  barometrical  column. 

At  this  elevation,  a  more  decided  current  carried  the 
balloon  towards  the  southwest.  What  a  magnificent  pano- 
rama unfolded  itself  beneath  the  eyes  of  the  travelers! 
The  island  of  Zanzibar  was  in  sight  from  end  to  end,  and 
stood  out  in  its  rich  coloring  as  upon  a  huge  board;  the 
fields  presented  an  appearance  of  patchwork,  and  the  large 
clumps  of  trees  indicated  the  woods  and  coppices. 

The  inhabitants  appeared  like  insects.  The  cheers  and 
cries  died  away  in  the  air  by  degrees,  and  the  reports  of  the 
ship's  guns  vibrated  only  in  the  lower  concavity  of  the 
balloon.  "  How  splendid  all  that  is!  "  cried  Joe,  breaking 
the  silence  for  the  first  time. 

No  reply  was  vouchsafed.  The  doctor  was  occupied  in 
observing  the  barometrical  changes  and  taking  note  of  the 
various  details  of  the  ascent.  Kennedy  stared  at  it  and 
could  not  take  it  all  in. 

The  sun  added  to  the  heat  of  the  blow-pipe  and  in- 
creased the  expansion  of  the  gas.  The  "  Victoria  "  reached 
a  height  of  2,500  feet.  The  Resolute  now  appeared  like  a 
small  barque,  and  the  African  coast  loomed  in  the  west  like 
an  enormous  line  of  foam. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak?  "  said  Joe. 

"  We  are  making  observations,"  replied  the  doctor,  as 
he  turned  his  glass  towards  the  continent. 

"  Well,  I  feel  as  if  I  must  speak,"  said  Joe. 

"  Fire  away,  Joe ;  talk  as  much  as  you  like." 

Joe  therefore  gave  way  to  a  tremendous  string  of  ex- 
clamations. The  "  ohs,"  the  "  ahs,"  and  the  "  good  hea- 
vens "  were  something  astonishing. 

While  they  were  crossing  the  sea,  the  doctor  thought  it 


CROSSING  THE  STRAITS  229 

better  to  maintain  this  elevation,  as  he  could  observe  a 
greater  extent  of  coast ;  the  thermometer  and  the  barometer, 
suspended  in  the  interior  of  the  half-opened  tent,  were 
almost  incessantly  consulted;  a  second  barometer,  placed 
outside,  was  for  use  during  the  night. 

After  two  hours  the  "  Victoria,"  impelled  at  a  rate  of  a 
little  over  eight  miles,  neared  the  coast.  The  doctor  de- 
termined to  approach  the  earth;  he  moderated  the  flame 
of  the  blow-pipe,  and  soon  the  balloon  descended  to  within 
300  feet  of  the  ground. 

He  perceived  that  he  was  just  over  Mrima,  a  name 
bestowed  on  this  portion  of  the  coast  of  Eastern  Africa; 
thick  lines  of  mango  bushes  lined  the  shore,  their  roots, 
lacerated  by  the  Indian  Ocean,  were  left  plainly  visible  by 
the  ebb-tide.  The  sand-hills,  which  formerly  constituted 
the  coast  line,  rose  above  the  horizon,  and  Mount  Nguru 
showed  its  head  in  the  northwest. 

The  "  Victoria  "  passed  close  to  a  village,  which,  from 
the  map,  the  doctor  pronounced  to  be  Kaole.  All  the 
population  assembled  to  utter  yells  of  anger  and  fear  as  the 
travelers  passed.  Arrows  were  vainly  directed  against  the 
air  monster,  which  floated  majestically  above  the  reach  of 
their  futile  fury. 

The  wind  went  round  to  the  south,  but  the  doctor  was 
not  disturbed  by  this ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  rather  glad  to 
follow  the  route  traversed  by  Captains  Burton  and  Speke. 

Kennedy  at  last  had  become  as  loquacious  as  Joe,  and 
they  mutually  exchanged  remarks  expressive  of  their  ad- 
miration.    "What  is  a  diligence  after  this?"  said  one. 

"  Or  a  steamer?  "  said  the  other. 

"  Or  a  wretched  railway?  "  rejoined  Kennedy,  "  in  which 
you  pass  through  the  country  without  seeing  it." 

"  Give  me  a  balloon,"  said  Joe,  "  where  you  needn't  stir, 
and  nature  takes  the  trouble  to  unroll  herself  at  your  feet." 

"What  a  magnificent  prospect!  how  splendid  it  all  is! 
like  a  beautiful  dream  in  a  hammock." 

"  I  wonder  if  we  are  to  have  any  breakfast,"  said  Joe,  to 
whom  the  pure  air  had  given  an  appetite. 

"  Happy  thought,  my  lad,"  said  Kennedy. 

"Oh!  the  cooking  won't  take  long;  it  is  only  biscuits 
and  preserved  meat." 

"  With  as  much  coffee  as  you  like,"  added  the  doctor. 


230  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Allow  me  to  borrow  a  little  heat  from  my  blow-pipe ;  there 
is  plenty  of  it.    In  this  way  we  shall  have  no  fear  of  fire." 

"That  would  be  terrible,"  said  Kennedy.  "It  is  like 
sitting  under  a  magazine." 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Ferguson;  "if  the  gas  did  happen  to 
take  light  it  would  burn  by  degrees,  but  we  should  come 
down  to  the  ground,  which  would  be  inconvenient.  But 
never  fear,  our  balloon  is  hermetically  sealed." 

"  Well,  let  us  have  something  to  eat,"  said  Kennedy. 
"Here  you  are,   gentlemen,"   said  Joe;   "and  while  I 
follow  your  example  in  eating  I  will  go  and  prepare  a  coffee 
of  which  you  shall  tell  me  the  origin." 

"The  fact  is,"  said  the  doctor,  "that  Joe,  amongst  a 
thousand  virtues,  has  an  extraordinary  talent  for  preparing 
this  delicious  beverage.  He  makes  it  of  all  kinds  of^  things 
which  he  never  wishes  me  to  know  anything  about." 

"  Well,  sir,  since  we  are  in  the  open  air,  I  can  confide 
my  recipe  to  you.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of 
Mocha,  Bourbon,  and  Rio  Nunez." 

Shortly  afterwards  three  steaming  cups  were  served, 
which  brought  a  substantial  breakfast  to  a  termination,  and 
each  one  resumed  his  post  of  observation. 

The  country  was  distinguished  by  its  extreme  fertility. 
Winding  and  narrow  pathways  were  hidden  by  arches  of 
verdure.  They  passed  over  fields  of  tobacco,  maize  and  bar- 
ley in  full  growth.  Here  and  there  immense  rice-fields  with 
their  straight  stalks  and  ruddy  flowers.  Sheep  and  goats 
were  enclosed  in  raised  pens,  to  preserve  thern  from 
the  attacks  of  leopards.  A  luxurious  vegetation  displayed 
itself  upon  this  prodigal  soil.  In  the  numerous  villages  the 
cries  and  the  astonishment  were  renewed  at  the  sight  of 
the  "  Victoria,"  and  Doctor  Ferguson  kept  prudently  out  of 
reach  of  arrows;  the  inhabitants,  assembling  around  their 
thickly-grouped  huts,  pursued  the  travelers  for  long  dis- 
tances with  vain  yells  and  imprecations. 

At  noon,  the  doctor,  referring  to  the  map,  was  of  opinion 
that  they  were  above  the  town  of  Uzaramo.  The  country 
bristled  with  cocoa-nut,  papaw,  and  cotton  trees,  over  which 
the  "  Victoria  "  idly  disported  itself.  Joe  took  all  this  as  a 
matter  of  course,  ever  since  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
come  to  Africa.  Kennedy  descried  hares  and  quails,  which 
desired  no  better  fate  than  to  be  killed  by  his  gun,  but  it 


CROSSING  THE  STRAITS  231 

would  have  been  powder  wasted,  as  it  was  impossible  to 
recover  the  game. 

The  travelers  moved  at  the  rate  of  about  twelve  miles 
an  hour,  and  soon  found  themselves  in  38°  20'  longitude, 
over  the  village  of  Tounda.  "  That  is  the  place,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  where  Burton  and  Speke  succumbed  to  fever,  and 
for  a  time  believed  their  expedition  must  be  given  up.  They 
were  as  yet  but  a  little  distance  from  the  coast,  but  already 
fatigue  and  privation  began  to  tell  upon  them." 

In  fact,  in  this  region  a  perpetual  malaria  exists.  Even 
the  doctor  could  only  escape  its  attacks  by  rising  in  the 
balloon  above  the  miasma,  which  the  burning  sun  caused  to 
rise  from  the  swampy  earth. 

Sometimes  they  could  perceive  a  caravan  reposing  in  a 
"kraal,"  waiting  for  the  cool  hours  of  evening  to  resume 
their  journey.  These  "  kraals  "  stand  in  large  cleared  spaces 
surrounded  by  hedges  and  jungle,  where  the  traders  are 
secure,  not  only  from  the  attacks  of  wild  beasts,  but  from 
those  of  the  pillaging  native  tribes.  The  natives  fled  in 
every  direction  at  the  appearance  of  the  "  Victoria."  Ken- 
nedy wished  to  have  a  nearer  view,  but  the  doctor  would 
not  hear  of  it. 

"  The  chiefs  are  armed  with  muskets,"  he  said,  "  and 
our  balloon  is  too  good  a  shot  for  them." 

"Would  a  bullet-hole  bring  the  balloon  down?"  asked 
Joe. 

"  Not  immediately ;  but  the  aperture  would  soon  ex- 
tend to  an  immense  fissure,  through  which  all  our  gas  would 
escape." 

"  Then  I  vote  we  keep  at  a  respectful  distance  from 
those  wretches.  I  wonder  what  they  think  of  us  up  here. 
I  am  sure  they  want  to  worship  us  ?  " 

"  Let  them  worship  us  as  much  as  they  please  at  a  dis- 
tance. That  pleases  us  all  round.  Look  here,  the  country 
is  already  changing,  villages  are  fewer,  the  mangoes  have 
disappeared ;  their  growth  ceases  in  this  latitude.  The  land 
is  hilly,  a  sign  we  are  approaching  mountains.  In  fact," 
said  Kennedy,  "  I  fancy  I  can  descry  some  mountains  this 
side  of  us." 

"  In  the  west — those  are  the  first  chain  of  the  Ourizara — 
Mount  Duthumi,  no  doubt,  behind  which  I  hope  we  shall 
encamp  for  the  night.     I  will  stir  up  the  blow-pipe  a  little, 


232  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

for  we  shall  be  obliged  to  rise  here  to  about  500  or  600 
feet." 

"That  is  a  first-rate  idea  of  yours,  sir,"  said  Joe;  "the 
movement  is  neither  difficult  nor  fatiguing;  just  turn  a  tap, 
and  it  is  all  done." 

"  We  shall  be  more  comfortable,"  said  Kennedy,  "  when 
the  balloon  is  higher  up;  the  reflection  from  that  red  sand 
is  very  trying." 

"What  splendid  trees  those  are!"  exclaimed  Joe; 
"  though  quite  natural,  they  are  magnificent.  Why,  a  dozen 
of  them  would  make  a  forest!  " 

"  They  are  the  '  baobab,' "  replied  Doctor  Ferguson. 
"  See,  one  of  their  trunks  must  be  almost  100  feet  in  cir- 
cumference. It  was,  perhaps,  at  the  trunk  of  that  very 
tree  that  the  unfortunate  Frenchman,  Maizan,  was  mur- 
dered in  1845,  for  we  are  just  above  the  village  of  Deje  la 
Mhora,  whither  he  penetrated  alone.  He  was  captured  by 
the  chief  of  this  territory,  tied  to  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and 
then  the  savage  negro  cut  him  slowly  limb  from  limb,  while 
he  chanted  a  war-song.  Then,  making  a  deep  incision  in 
his  victim's  throat,  he  stopped  to  sharpen  his  knife,  and 
literally  tore  the  half-severed  head  from  the  body  of  the 
unfortunate  Frenchman.    He  was  only  twenty-six." 

"And  did  not  France  demand  satisfaction  for  such  a 
crime?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  France  did  so,  and  the  Sa'id  of  Zanzibar  did  all  he 
could  to  arrest  the  murderer,  but  without  success." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  stopped  in  that  way,"  said  Joe. 
"  Up  higher,  sir,  if  you  have  any  regard  for  me." 

"  And  the  more  willingly,  Joe,  that  Mount  Duthumi  is 
peering  at  us.  If  my  calculations  be  correct,  we  shall  have 
passed  it  before  7  p.m. 

"  Shall  we  travel  during  the  night?"  asked  the  Scot. 

"  No ;  not  unless  we  are  obliged  to  do  so.  With  pre- 
caution and  careful  watching  we  might  do  so  in  safety. 
But  it  is  not  enough  to  cross  Africa,  we  must  see  it  too." 

"  Hitherto  we  have  not  had  much  to  complain  of,  sir. 
The  country  is  the  best  cultivated  and  the  most  fertile  in 
the  world;  not  a  desert,  as  the  geographies  would  have  us 
believe." 

About  half-past  six  the  "  Victoria  "  was  opposite  Mount 
Duthumi.    It  was  necessary,  to  avoid  it,  to  rise  more  than 


CROSSING  THE  STRAITS  233 

3,000  feet,  and  for  that  the  doctor  had  only  to  raise  the 
temperature  eighteen  degrees.  It  might  be  said  that  he 
worked  the  balloon  with  his  hand.  Kennedy  warned  him 
of  the  obstacles  to  avoid,  and  the  "  Victoria  "  rose  through 
the  air  skimming  past  the  mountain. 

At  eight  o'clock  they  descended  on  the  opposite  side, 
but  the  descent  was  slower  than  the  ascent.  The  grapnels 
were  cast  out,  and  one  after  the  other  came  in  contact  with 
the  branches  of  an  enormous  Indian  fig,  where  they  fastened 
themselves.  Then  Joe  let  himself  slip  down  by  the  cord 
and  secured  the  balloon  as  firmly  as  possible.  The  silk 
ladder  was  then  thrown  to  him,  and  he  reascended  briskly. 
The  balloon  remained  almost  motionless,  shaded  from  the 
wind. 

The  evening  meal  was  prepared.  The  travelers,  with 
appetites  excited  by  their  aerial  trip,  made  a  great  hole  in 
their  provisions. 

"  What  distance  have  we  made  to-day?  "  asked  Kennedy, 
"while  masticating  some  troublesome  morsels. 

The  doctor  ascertained  the  day's  work  by  means  of 
lunar  observations,  and  consulted  the  excellent  map  which 
served  him  as  a  guide — it  was  part  of  the  atlas  published  in 
Gotha  by  his  friend  Petermann,  which  he  had  sent  to  him. 
This  atlas  would  serve  the  doctor  for  the  whole  journey, 
for  it  contained  the  route  of  Burton  and  Speke  to  the  great 
lakes,  that  to  the  Soudan  undertaken  by  Barth,  to  the  lower 
Senegal  by  William  Lejean,  and  to  the  delta  of  the  Niger 
by  Dr.  Baike. 

Ferguson  also  possessed  a  book  which  contained  all  the 
speculations  written  respecting  the  Nile,  and  entitled,  "  The 
Sources  of  the  Nile;  being  a  general  survey  of  the  basin 
of  that  river,  and  of  its  head  stream,  with  the  history  of 
the  Nilotic  discovery.    By  Charles  Beke,  D.D." 

He  also  had  the  excellent  maps  published  in  the  Trans- 
actions of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  London,  so 
any  point  of  the  country  hitherto  discovered  could  not  now 
escape  him. 

Following  the  map,  he  found  that  the  latitudinal  route 
had  been  two  degrees,  or  120  miles,  to  the  west.  Kennedy 
remarked  that  the  route  turned  towards  the  north;  this 
direction  satisfied  the  doctor,  wlio  wished  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible to  follow  up  the  tracks  of  his  predecessors. 


234  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

It  was  decided  that  the  night  should  be  divided  into 
three  watches,  so  that  each  could  in  his  turn  keep  guard  for 
the  others.  The  doctor  took  the  9  p.m.  watch,  Kennedy 
the  midnight  turn,  and  Joe  that  at  3  a.m.  So  Kennedy  and 
Joe,  wrapped  up  in  their  rugs,  laid  down  under  the  awning, 
and  slept  calmly  while  the  doctor  kept  his  vigil. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

TRAVELING  BY  LAND 

The  night  was  calm:  nevertheless,  upon  the  following 
morning  (Saturday),  Kennedy,  on  waking,  complained  of 
lassitude  and  shivering.  The  weather  began  to  change, 
and  the  sky  became  covered  with  heavy  clouds,  as  if  pre- 
paring for  a  second  deluge.  Zungomero  is  a  very  "  weep- 
ing "  region  indeed,  for  in  that  delightful  locality  it  rains 
all  the  year  round  except  perhaps  for  about  fifteen  days  in 
January. 

The  heavy  rain  was  not  slow  to  assail  the  travelers. 
Below  them  the  paths,  intersected  by  "  nullahs,"  the  beds  of 
mountain  torrents,  became  impassable,  choked  as  they  were 
besides  with  bindweed  and  prickly  plants.  The  travelers 
distinctly  perceived  the  odor  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
spoken  of  by  Captain  Burton. 

"  As  he  declared,"  said  the  doctor,  "  and  he  was  right, 
one  can  almost  believe  that  a  dead  body  is  hidden  beneath 
each  bush." 

"  A  villainous  country,  certainly,"  said  Joe,  "  and  it 
seems  to  me  that  Mr.  Kennedy  is  none  the  better  for  having 
passed  the  night  in  it." 

"  Well,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  have  got  a  pretty  strong  touch 
of  fever,"  said  the  Scot. 

"  My  dear  Dick,  that  is  nothing  wonderful;  we  are  now 
in  one  of  the  most  unhealthy  spots  in  Africa.  But  we  shall 
not  be  here  long.    Let  us  go." 

Thanks  to  a  rapid  maneuver  of  Joe's,  the  grapnel  was 
detached,  and  by  means  of  the  ladder  he  regained  the  car. 
The  doctor  at  once  expanded  the  gas  and  the  "  Victoria  " 
resumed  her  voyage,  impelled  by  a  fairly  strong  breeze. 

Some  huts  were  scarcely  visible  in  the  pestilential  mist 
beneath,  but  the  country  began  soon  to  change  its  aspect. 


TRAVELING  BY  LAND  235 

It  is  often  the  case  in  Africa  that  malarious  regions  of  small 
extent  border  upon  the  most  perfectly  healthy  districts. 

Kennedy  was  suffering,  and  the  fever  prostrated  him. 

*'  This  is  scarcely  the  place  to  be  laid  up  in,"  said  he,  as 
he  wrapped  himself  in  his  rug  and  lay  down. 

"  Just  a  little  patience,  Dick,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  and 
you  will  recover  rapidly." 

"  Recover!  By  Jove,  my  dear  Samuel,  if  you  have  any 
drug  that  will  set  me  up,  let  me  have  it  at  once.  I  will 
swallow  it  with  my  eyes  shut." 

"  I  know  something  better  than  that,  friend  Dick.  I  will 
give  you  a  dose  that  will  cost  nothing." 

"How?" 

"  It  is  very  simple.  I  am  about  to  mount  right  over 
these  clouds  which  are  drowning  us,  and  get  free  from  this 
pestilential  atmosphere.  I  only  ask  ten  minutes  to  expand 
the  gas." 

The  ten  minutes  had  scarcely  elapsed,  when  the  balloon 
had  passed  out  of  the  wet  zone. 

"  Now,  wait  a  little,  Dick,  and  you  will  soon  feel  the 
benefit  of  the  pure  air  and  sunshine." 

"  There  is  indeed  a  remedy,"  cried  Joe.  "  It  is  really 
wonderful ! " 

"  Not  at  all— only  natural." 

"  Oh !  I  don't  doubt  it  is  perfectly  natural !  " 

"  I  only  send  Dick  into  purer  air,  as  people  are  sent 
every  day  in  Europe." 

"Ah!"  cried  Kennedy,  who  already  was  beginning  to 
feel  better.    "  This  balloon  is  really  *  paradise.'  " 

"  In  any  case  it  leads  there,"  said  Joe  seriously. 

The  view  beneath  the  balloon  at  that  moment  was  a 
curious  spectacle;  the  masses  of  cloud  were  piled  up  in 
magnificent  array,  moving  one  above  the  other,  and  tinged 
with  the  glorious  rays  of  the  sun.  The  "  Victoria  "  had 
attained  an  altitude  of  4,000  feet,  and  the  thermometer  in- 
dicated a  fall  in  the  temperature.  The  earth  was  invisible. 
About  fifty  miles  westward.  Mount  Rubeho  raised  its  spark- 
ling head,  which  indicated  the  limit  of  the  country  of 
Ugogo,  in  36°  20'  longitude.  The  wind  had  the  force  of 
twenty  miles  an  hour,  but  the  travelers  felt  nothing  of  this 
rapid  movement;  they  experienced  no  inconvenience  what- 
ever, indeed  they  were  scarcely  aware  of  the  progress  they 


236  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

made.  Three  hours  later,  the  prediction  of  Doctor  Fergu- 
son was  verified.  Kennedy's  fever  had  departed,  and  he 
breakfasted  with  a  good  appetite. 

"  This  is  better  than  sulphate  of  quinine,"  said  he,  with 
evident  satisfaction. 

"  Decidedly,"  cried  Joe.  "  I  shall  come  up  here  when 
I  grow  old." 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  atmosphere  cleared. 
They  perceived  an  opening  in  the  clouds;  the  earth  re- 
appeared, and  the  "  Victoria "  insensibly  approached  it. 
Doctor  Ferguson  was  on  the  look-out  for  a  current  to  carry 
the  balloon  towards  the  northeast,  and  at  about  600  feet 
from  the  ground  he  fell  in  with  it.  The  country  became 
uneven,  and  even  hilly.  The  district  of  Zongomero  was 
lost  in  the  east,  and  with  it  the  last  cocoa-nut  trees  of  that 
latitude. 

The  mountains  soon  began  to  assume  a  more  decided 
form.  Some  peaks  shot  up  here  and  there.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  keep  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  sharp  peaks,  which 
appeared  to  rise  up  in  an  unexpected  manner.  "  We  are 
amongst  the  breakers,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  All  right,  Dick.  Don't  be  uneasy,  we  shall  not  touch 
them,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  This  is  a  first-rate  way  to  travel,  all  the  same,"  said 
Joe. 

The  doctor  managed  his  balloon  with  a  wonderful  dex- 
terity, certainly. 

"If  we  had  been  obliged  to  go  on  foot  over  that  marshy 
ground,"  said  the  doctor,  "  we  should  have  had  to  crawl 
slowly  along  in  a  regular  slimy  morass.  Since  our  departure 
from  Zanzibar,  in  that  case,  half  our  beasts  of  burthen 
would  have  been  now  dead  with  fatigue.  We  should  have 
been  looking  like  ghosts,  and  despair  would  have  been  gnaw- 
ing at  our  hearts.  We  should  have  had  incessant  disputes 
with  our  guides  and  porters,  and  exposed  to  their  attacks. 
During  the  day  we  should  have  suffered  from  a  damp 
steamy  air  insupportable,  and  altogether  enervating.  At 
night  there  is  frequently  an  almost  intolerable  coldness  in 
the  atmosphere,  and  the  bites  of  a  species  of  fly,  which  can 
pierce  the  stoutest  cloth,  would  drive  us  mad.  All  these 
little  enjoyments  we  should  have  had,  without  counting  wild 
beasts  and  ferocious  people." 


TRAVELING  BY  LAND  237 


u 


ti 


I  vote  we  don't  try  it,"  said  Joe  simply. 

"  I  am  not  exaggerating  in  the  least,"  said  the  doctor, 

for  at  the  recitals  of  travelers  who  have  had  the  pluck  to 
venture  into  these  latitudes,  the  tears  would  actually  come 
into  your  eyes." 

About  eleven  o'clock  they  passed  over  the  basin  of  the 
Imenge;  the  natives  scattered  about  upon  the  hills  vainly 
threatened  the  "  Victoria "  with  their  weapons,  and  the 
balloon  soon  arrived  above  the  last  spurs  of  the  high  ground 
which  leads  to  the  Rubeho,  which  forms  the  third  chain,  and 
highest  mountain  of  the  ranges  of  Usagara. 

The  travelers  took  careful  notes  of  the  orographical  fea- 
tures of  the  country.  The  three  ramifications,  of  which  the 
Duthumi  forms  the  first  line,  are  separated  by  vast  plains. 
The  lofty  ridges  are  rounded  off  at  the  summit,  and  the 
ground  is  strewn  with  large  blocks  of  stone  at  intervals, 
amid  the  shingle.  The  steepest  side  of  these  mountains  is 
towards  Zanzibar,  the  western  declivity  being  merely  a 
gentle  slope.  The  more  level  portions  of  the  plain  are 
covered  with  a  black  and  fertile  soil,  where  vegetation  is 
luxuriant.  Numerous  watercourses  run  towards  the  east 
and  flow  into  the  Kingani  in  the  neighborhood  of  gigantic 
clumps  of  sycamores,  tamarinds,  gourds,  and  palms. 

"  Listen,"  said  Doctor  Ferguson.  "  We  are  now  ap- 
proaching the  Rubeho  mountains,  whose  name  being  trans- 
lated, means  '  Passage  of  Winds.'  We  shall  do  well  to 
cross  the  sharp  peaks  at  a  considerable  altitude.  If  my 
map  be  correct,  we  must  ascend  to  5,000  feet." 

"  Shall  we  have  to  attain  such  an  altitude  frequently  ?  " 
asked  Kennedy. 

"No;  very  seldom.  The  height  of  the  African  moun- 
tains appears  to  be  relatively  small  compared  to  the  Eu- 
ropean and  Asian  peaks.  But,  in  any  case,  the  *  Victoria ' 
will  have  no  difficulty  to  overcome  them." 

In  a  short  time  the  gas  was  dilated  and  the  balloon 
took  a  very  decided  upward  course.  The  expansion  of  the 
hydrogen  had  nothing  dangerous  in  its  character  either, 
for  the  vast  balloon  was  not  filled  to  more  than  three- 
quarters  its  capacity.  The  barometer  now.  by  a  depression 
of  eight  inches,  showed  they  had  attained  an  elevation  of 
6,000  feet. 

"  Shall  we  travel  like  this  long?  "  asked  Joe. 


238  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  The  terrestrial  atmosphere  extends  to  a  distance  of 
6,000  fathoms  from  the  earth,"  rephed  the  doctor.  "  With 
a  very  large  balloon  we  could  go  a  great  height.  Messrs. 
Brioschi  and  Gay-Lussac  did  so,  but  the  blood  gushed  from 
their  ears  and  mouth.  The  air  could  not  be  breathed. 
Some  years  ago  two  hardy  Frenchmen,  Banel  and  Bixio, 
also  made  an  expedition  into  the  higher  regions,  but  their 
balloon  split." 

"  And  they  fell  down  ?  "  demanded  Kennedy  anxiously. 

"Certainly;  but,  as  scientific  men  ought  to  fall,  without 
sustaining  any  injury." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  said  Joe,  "  you  are  quite  at  liberty 
to  begin  your  tumbling;  but,  for  my  part,  as  I  am  merely  a 
commonplace  person,  I  prefer  to  remain  in  the  happy 
medium,  neither  too  high  nor  too  low.  There  is  no  use  in 
being  ambitious ! " 

At  6,000  feet  elevation  the  density  of  the  air  became 
sensibly  diminished,  sounds  were  with  difficulty  transmitted, 
and  speaking  was  not  distinctly  heard.  Views  of  objects 
became  confused,  the  vision  could  not  distinguish  anything 
more  than  confused  masses.  Men  and  other  animals  be- 
came absolutely  invisible.  The  roads  became  threads,  and 
the  lakes  ponds. 

The  doctor  and  his  companions  were  in  a  very  abnormal 
state.  An  atmospheric  current  of  great  violence  carried 
them  over  the  mountains,  upon  whose  summits  the  large 
snow-fields  caused  them  some  astonishment.  The  appear- 
ance of  these  mountains  betokened  some  convulsion  of  the 
sea  during  the  first  ages  of  the  world's  existence. 

The  sun  shone  in  the  zenith,  and  his  rays  fell  directly 
upon  these  deserted  summits.  The  doctor  made  an  exact 
plan  of  these  mountains,  which  are  formed  of  four  distinct 
elevations  almost  in  a  straight  line,  and  of  which  the  most 
northern  is  the  longest. 

The  "  Victoria  "  soon  descended  on  the  farther  side  of 
the  Rubeho,  and  passed  over  a  wooded  region  in  which 
trees  of  a  peculiarly  dark  green  were  freely  scattered.  Then 
came  crests  and  ravines  in  a  sort  of  desert,  which  approaches 
the  territory  of  Ugogo.  Lower  down  they  sailed  over 
yellow  plains,  scorched,  fissured,  and  here  and  there  amongst 
the  desolation  appeared  saline  plants  and  thorny  bushes. 
Some   coppices,    not    far   removed    from    actual    forests, 


TRAVELING  BY  LAND  239 

studded  the  horizon.  The  doctor  now  approached  the 
ground,  the  grapnels  were  cast  out,  and  one  of  them  soon 
got  fixed  in  the  branches  of  an  immense  sycamore. 

Joe,  sHding  quickly  into  the  tree,  fixed  the  grapnel  with 
great  care.  The  doctor  left  his  blow-pipe  sufficiently  active 
to  ensure  a  certain  ascensional  force  in  the  balloon,  which 
would  keep  it  upright.  The  wind  had  rather  suddenly 
dropped. 

"  Now,"  said  Ferguson,  "  take  a  couple  of  guns,  friend 
Dick,  for  yourself  and  Joe,  and  see  if  you  two  cannot  bring 
back  some  prime  slices  of  antelope  for  dinner." 

"  Hurrah  for  the  chase !  "  cried  Kennedy. 

They  descended,  Joe  let  himself  slide  from  branch  to 
branch,  as  if  he  wished  to  dislocate  his  limbs.  The  doctor, 
relieved  of  the  weight  of  his  companions,  was  enabled  to 
reduce  his  blow-pipe  altogether. 

"  Don't  you  fly  away,  sir,  please,"  cried  Joe. 

"Be  quite  easy,  my  lad;  I  am  firmly  fixed  here.  I  am 
about  to  put  my  notes  in  order.  Good  sport  to  you,  and 
be  prudent.  Meantime,  from  my  post  I  shall  keep  a  good 
look-out,  and  at  the  least  suspicious  incident  I  will  fire  a 
shot.    That  shall  be  the  signal  for  return." 

"  All  right,"  replied  the  sportsmen. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ARRIVAL  AT   KAZEH 

The  country,  arid  and  parched,  of  a  clayey  soil  that 
cracked  with  the  heat,  appeared  deserted.  Here  and  there 
some  traces  of  caravans  might  be  perceived,  and  the 
blanched  bones  of  men  and  animals,  half  gnawed,  lay 
mingling  in  the  same  dust. 

After  half  an  hour's  walking,  Dick  and  Joe  plunged  into 
a  gum-tree  forest,  with  eyes  on  the  alert,  and  their  fingers 
upon  the  triggers  of  their  rifles.  They  did  not  know  with 
what  they  might  meet.  Without  being  a  first-rate  shot,  Joe 
could  manage  firearms  very  well. 

"  It  does  one  good  to  walk,  Mr.  Dick,  though  this 
country  is  not  the  most  level,"  said  Joe,  kicking  aside  some 
of  the  fragments  of  rock  with  which  the  ground  was  strewn. 

Kennedy  signed  to  his  companion  to  hold  his  tongue, 


240  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

and  to  stop.  They  were  obliged  to  dispense  with  dogs,  and 
despite  the  agihty  of  Joe,  he  did  not  possess  the  nose  of 
a  pointer  or  of  a  harrier.  In  the  bed  of  a  torrent,  where 
some  small  pools  still  lingered,  a  herd  of  twelve  antelopes 
were  quenching  their  thirst.  These  graceful  animals,  scent- 
ing danger,  appeared  restless;  between  each  draught  they 
would  raise  their  pretty  heads  quickly,  and  sniff  the  air  with 
their  mobile  nostrils. 

Kennedy  passed  around  some  massive  trees,  while  Joe 
remained  motionless.  The  Scot  leveled  and  fired.  The 
herd  disappeared  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  all  except  a 
fine  buck,  which,  hit  in  the  shoulder,  fell  dead.  Kennedy 
rushed  forward  to  secure  the  booty.  It  was  a  "  blawe- 
bock,"  a  splendid  animal  of  a  pale  blue  tint,  tending  to 
gray;  the  belly  and  inside  of  the  legs  was  of  a  snowy 
whiteness. 

"  A  capital  shot,"  cried  the  sportsman.  "  This  is  a  very 
rare  species  of  antelope,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  pre- 
pare his  skin." 

"  You  really  think  of  doing  so,  Mr.  Dick  ?  " 

"  Certainly;  what  a  splendid  coat  the  fellow  has  got." 

"  But  what  will  Doctor  Ferguson  say  to  such  an  addi- 
tional weight  ?  " 

"  Right,  Joe.  But  it  is  a  pity  to  leave  such  a  splendid 
animal  as  that." 

"  Altogether,  no,  sir;  we  will  cut  off  the  best  bits,  and,  if 
you  will  allow  me,  I  will  do  it  as  well  as  the  Lord  Mayor's 
butcher  himself." 

"  Very  well,  my  friend,  but  nevertheless  you  must  know 
that  it  is  no  more  difficult  for  me  to  cut  up  the  game  than 
to  kill  it." 

"I  am  quite  sure  of  that,  Mr.  Dick;  so,  if  it  will  not 
trouble  you,  make  a  fireplace  out  of  three  stones;  there  is  a 
quantity  of  dead  wood,  and  I  only  ask  a  few  minutes  before 
I  shall  be  ready  to  make  use  of  your  hot  embers." 

"  That  will  not  be  long,"  said  Kennedy,  who  proceeded 
to  the  construction  of  his  fireplace,  which  was  ready,  blaz- 
ing, a  minute  or  two  later. 

Joe  meantime  had  cut  from  the  antelope  a  dozen  ex- 
cellent cutlets  and  the  tenderest  portions  of  the  fillet,  which 
were  soon  transformed  into  a  most  savory  grill. 

"  Won't  this  please  friend  Samuel,"  said  Dick. 

V.  I  Verne 


ARRIVAL  AT  KAZEH  241 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  am  thinking  of,  Mr.  Richard  ?  " 

"Of  what  you  are  about;  the  steaks,  no  doubt." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  am  thinking  what  a  figure  we  should  cut 
if  we  could  not  find  the  balloon." 

"  Goodness !  Do  you  imagine  that  the  doctor  would 
abandon  us  ? " 

"  Oh  no !    But  suppose  the  grapnel  got  loose  ?  " 

"  Impossible.  Besides,  Samuel  would  not  be  at  any  diffi- 
culty to  come  down  again.    He  can  manage  it  very  well." 

"  But  suppose  the  wind  caught  it;  he  would  not  be  able 
to  bring  it  back  to  us  in  that  case." 

"Oh!  bother,  Joe,  a  truce  to  your  suspicions;  you  are 
a  regular  *  Job's  comforter.'  " 

"Ah!  sir,  everything  is  possible  in  this  world;  so,  as 
anything  might  happen,  it  is  well  to  be  prepared  for  every- 
thing  " 

At  that  moment  the  report  of  a  gun  was  heard. 

"  Listen !  "  cried  Joe. 

"  My  carbine !  I  know  the  sound,"  cried  Kennedy. 

"A  signal!" 

"  Danger  for  us !  " 

"  Or  for  him,  perhaps." 

"  Let  us  go  at  once." 

The  sportsmen  rapidly  packed  up  the  products  of  their 
shooting  and  retraced  their  steps  by  means  of  the  "  blaze  " 
made  by  Kennedy  upon  the  trees.  The  thickness  of  the 
foliage  prevented  them  from  seeing  the  "Victoria,"  from 
which  they  could  not  be  very  far  distant. 

A  second  report  was  now  heard. 

**  The  matter  is  serious,"  said  Joe. 
Yes,  there's  another! " 
It  seems  as  if  he  were  defending  himself." 

"  Let  us  make  haste,"  said  Kennedy,  and  running  as 
quickly  as  possible,  they  arrived  at  the  skirts  of  the  wood, 
and  all  at  once  beheld  the  "  Victoria  "  in  its  place  and  the 
doctor  in  the  car. 

"  Good  gracious !  "  exclaimed  Joe. 

"  What  do  you  see?  "  asked  the  Scot. 

"A  whole  tribe  of  black  men  down  there  besieging  the 
balloon." 

In  fact,  about  two  miles  away  a  number  of  individuals 
were  pressing,  shouting,  and  jumping  at  the  base  of  the 


It 


242  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

sycamore.  Some  of  them  having  dimbed  into  the  tree  were 
advancing  to  the  highest  branches.  The  danger  appeared 
imminent. 

"  My  master  is  lost !  "  cried  Joe. 

"  Let  us  get  on,  Joe;  coolness  and  a  sharp  eye.  We  hold 
the  lives  of  four  men  in  our  hands.    Go  ahead." 

They  had  covered  a  mile  vi^ith  great  speed  when  another 
shot  from  the  car  sent  a  great  fellow,  who  had  been  climb- 
ing up  the  rope  of  the  grapnel,  tumbling  from  branch  to 
branch  a  corpse;  he  remained  suspended  twenty  feet  from 
the  ground,  his  arms  and  legs  swinging  in  the  air. 

"  Now,  I  wonder  how  the  devil  he  manages  that,"  said 
Joe. 

"  Never  mind,"  cried  Kenhedy,  "  let  us  get  on." 

"  Ha !  Mr.  Kennedy,"  cried  Joe,  with  a  peal  of  laughter, 
"  it  is  by  his  tail — by  his  tail.  He  is  an  ape ;  they  are  only 
apes,  all  of  them !  " 

"  That  is  better  than  being  men  just  now,"  replied  Ken- 
nedy, as  he  charged  into  the  midst  of  the  howling  band. 

It  was  a  troop  of  apes,  and  very  formidable  ones.  Fero- 
cious and  brutal,  they  were  horrible  to  behold.  However, 
some  further  shots  easily  persuaded  them,  and  this  grim- 
acing horde  departed,  leaving  many  dead  upon  the  ground. 

In  a  moment  Kennedy  ascended  the  ladder,  Joe  pulled 
himself  into  the  sycamore,  and  detached  the  grapnel;  the 
ladder  was  close  to  him,  and  he  entered  the  balloon  without 
difficulty.  Some  minutes  afterwards  the  "  Victoria  "  rose 
in  the  air  and  departed  towards  the  west. 

"  There  was  an  attack !  "  said  Joe.  "  We  began  to  think 
you  were  besieged  by  the  natives." 

"  They  were  only  apes,  fortunately,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"At  a  distance  the  difference  is  not  striking,  my  dear 
Samuel." 

"  Not  even  when  you  are  close,"  said  Joe. 

"  However  that  m.ay  be,"  replied  Ferguson,  "  the  apes' 
attack  might  have  had  serious  consequences.  If  the  grapnel 
had  given  way  under  their  repeated  assaults  who  knows 
whither  the  wind  might  have  carried  me." 

"  What  did  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Kennedy?  "  said  Joe. 

"  Quite  right,  Joe ;  but,  correct  as  you  are,  nevertheless, 
will  you  prepare  some  of  those  steaks  of  which  the  sight 
alone  has  given  me  an  appetite." 


ARRIVAL  AT  KAZEH  243 

"  That  I  can  readily  believe,"  said  the  doctor;  "  the  flesh 
of  the  antelope  is  delicious." 

"  You  can  now  judge  for  yourself,  sir;  dinner  is  ready," 

"  Faith,"  said  Kennedy,  "  these  slices  of  venison  have  a 
strange  sort  of  flavor  not  to  be  despised." 

"  Right !  I  could  live  upon  antelope  for  ever,"  cried  Joe, 
with  his  mouth  full,  "  particularly  if  I  had  a  glass  of  grog  to 
wash  it  down."  He  prepared  the  beverage  in  question, 
which  was  relished  in  silence. 

"  So  far  so  good,"  said  Joe. 

"  Very  good,"  added  Kennedy. 

"  I  say,  Mr.  Richard,  do  you  now  regret  having  accom- 
panied us?  " 

"  I  should  very  much  like  to  see  the  man  who  could 
have  prevented  my  coming,"  said  Dick,  with  a  resolute  look. 

It  was  then  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  The  "  Vic- 
toria "  encountered  a  more  rapid  current,  the  earth  was  left 
insensibly,  and  soon  the  barometrical  column  marked  an 
elevation  of  1,500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The 
doctor  was  then  obliged  to  keep  up  his  balloon  by  a  strong 
expansion  of  hydrogen  gas  and  the  blow-pipe  worked  in- 
cessantly. Towards  seven  o'clock  the  "  Victoria  "  crossed 
the  basin  of  the  Kanyeme,  the  doctor  took  observations 
also  of  this  vast  clearing  of  ten  miles  in  width,  with  its 
villages  hidden  among  baobabs  and  gourds.  There  one  of 
the  sultans  of  Ugogo  has  his  residence,  and  civilization  is 
perhaps  less  backward.  They  very  seldom  sell  members 
of  their  families  there,  but  beasts  and  men  all  live  together 
in  the  round,  unfitted  huts,  which  look  like  haystacks. 

After  passing  Kanyeme  the  ground  became  arid  and 
stony,  but  after  an  hour  in  a  fertile  valley,  vegetation  reap- 
peared in  all  its  luxuriance  at  a  little  distance  from  Mdaburu. 
The  wind  went  down  with  the  sun,  and  the  air  even  seemed 
to  go  to  sleep.  The  doctor  searched  in  vain  for  a  current 
at  different  altitudes,  and  seeing  how  still  everything  was  he 
resolved  to  pass  the  night  in  the  air,  and  for  greater  safety 
he  went  up  to  1,000  feet  high.  The  "  Victoria  "  remained 
motionless.  The  night  was  starlit,  and  passed  without  in- 
cident. 

Dick  and  Joe  stretched  themselves  upon  their  quiet  couch 
and  slept  soundly  during  the  doctor's  watch.  At  midnight 
the  doctor  was  replaced  by  Kennedy. 


244  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Mind  you  wake  me  up  if  the  slightest  thing  occurs," 
said  the  doctor;  "and,  above  all  things,  keep  your  eyes 
upon  the  barometer.    That  is  our  compass." 

The  night  was  cold.  There  were  twenty-seven  degrees 
difference  between  its  temperature  and  that  of  the  day. 
With  darkness  rose  the  nocturnal  concert  of  the  animals 
which  hunger  and  thirst  drove  from  their  lairs:  the  frogs 
sang  their  soprano,  increased  by  the  yelpings  of  the  jackals, 
while  the  basso  prof  undo  of  the  lions  sustained  the  music  of 
this  living  orchestra. 

When  he  got  up  in  the  morning  Doctor  Ferguson  con- 
sulted his  compass,  and  perceived  that  the  wind  had  changed 
during  the  night.  The  "  Victoria "  had  drifted  about 
thirty  miles  to  the  northwest  in  about  two  hours.  It  had 
passed  over  Mabunguru,  a  very  stony  region,  strewn  with 
blocks  of  syenite  of  a  beautiful  polish,  and  dotted  with 
rocks  upon  the  shelving  ridges;  conical  masses,  like  the 
pillars  of  Karnak,  stuck  up  from  the  ground  as  high  as 
Druidical  "  dolmens."  Numerous  skeletons  of  buffaloes 
and  elephants  lay  blanching  here  and  there.  There  were 
few  trees  except  in  the  east,  where  some  villages  lay  con- 
cealed in  the  midst  of  deep  woods. 

About  seven  o'clock  a  round  rock,  nearly  two  miles  in 
extent,  appeared,  wearing  the  appearance  of  the  back  of  an 
enormous  tortoise. 

"  We  are  having  a  pleasant  trip,"  said  Doctor  Ferguson. 
"  There  is  Jihoue-la-Mkoa,  where  we  shall  stay  for  a  little 
time.  I  must  replenish  the  water-tanks;  let  us  catch  hold  of 
something." 

"  There  are  very  few  trees,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Let  us  try,  nevertheless.    Joe,  throw  out  the  grapnels." 

The  balloon,  by  degrees,  lost  its  ascending  power,  and 
approached  the  ground,  the  fluke  of  one  of  the  grapnels 
caught  in  a  fissure  of  a  rock,  and  the  "  Victoria  "  halted. 

You  must  not  imagine  that  Doctor  Ferguson  was  able  to 
completely  stop  the  action  of  the  blow-pipe  during  these 
halts.  The  equilibrium  of  the  balloon  had  been  reckoned 
at  the  level  of  the  sea ;  now  the  country  was  continually  on 
the  ascent,  and  they  were  elevated  600  or  700  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  so  the  balloon  had  the  tendency  to  descend 
lower  even  than  the  surface  of  the  ground.  It  was,  there- 
fore, necessary  to  sustain  it  by  a  certain  expansion  of  gas. 


ARRIVAL  AT  KAZEH  245 

Only  in  the  event  of  the  absence  of  all  wind,  if  the  doctor 
had  left  the  car  to  sleep  on  the  ground,  the  balloon,  then 
divested  of  a  considerable  weight,  would  be  maintained  in 
its  position  without  the  assistance  of  the  blow-pipe. 

The  maps  showed  vast  pools  of  water  upon  the  western 
side  of  Jihoue-la-Mkoa.  Joe  went  off  with  a  barrel  which 
might  contain  a  dozen  gallons;  he  found  the  place  indi- 
cated without  difficulty,  not  far  from  a  small  deserted  vil- 
lage, took  a  supply  of  water,  and  returned  to  the  balloon  in 
less  than  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  He  had  seen  nothing 
particular,  except  immense  elephant  traps;  he  narrowly  es- 
caped falling  into  one  of  them,  in  which  a  half-eaten  car- 
cass was  lying.  He  found  and  brought  back  a  sort  of  med- 
lar, which  the  monkeys  eat  voraciously.  The  doctor  recog- 
nized it  as  the  fruit  of  the  "  mbenbu,"  a  very  common  tree 
on  the  west  part  of  Jihoue-la-Mkoa.  Ferguson  waited 
somewhat  impatiently  for  Joe,  for  even  a  short  stay  upon 
that  inhospitable  land  filled  him  with  fear. 

The  water  was  hoisted  in  without  difficulty,  for  the  car 
was  brought  close  to  the  ground.  Joe  was  able  to  take  up 
the  grapnel  and  mount  nimbly  after  his  master,  who  at  once 
set  the  flame  going,  and  the  "  Victoria  "  resumed  her  aerial 
voyage. 

They  were  then  100  miles  from  Kazeh,  an  important 
settlement  in  the  interior,  where,  thanks  to  a  southeasterly 
current,  the  travelers  had  hopes  of  arriving  during  the  day. 
They  progressed  at  about  fourteen  miles  an  hour,  the  man- 
agement of  the  balloon  became  rather  difficult,  they  could 
not  rise  very  high  without  expanding  too  much  gas,  for  the 
country  was  already  nearly  3,000  feet  high.  The  doctor 
preferred  to  restrain  the  expansion  as  much  as  possible, 
so  he  very  adroitly  followed  the  windings  of  a  somewhat 
steep  declivity,  and  passed  very  near  to  the  villages  of 
Themba  and  Tura  Wells.  This  latter  is  situated  in  Unyam- 
wezy,  a  magnificent  region,  where  the  trees  attain  enormous 
dimensions,  and  the  cactus  amongst  others,  which  are  gi- 
gantic. 

About  two  o'clock,  in  splendid  weather,  beneath  a  scorch- 
ing sun,  which  absorbed  the  least  current  of  air,  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  hovered  above  the  town  of  Kazeh,  situated  about 
350  miles  from  the  coast. 

"  We  left  Zanzibar  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,"  said 


246  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

Doctor  Ferguson,  consulting  his  notes,  and  after  two  days' 
traveling  we  have  accomplished,  including  our  deviations, 
nearly  500  geographical  miles.  Captains  Burton  and  Speke 
took  four  months  and  a  half  to  accomplish  the  same  dis- 
tance. 

CHAPTER  XV 

THE  SONS  OF  THE  MOON, 

Kazeh,  an  important  place  in  Central  Africa,  is  scarcely 
a  town  properly  so  called ;  there  is  not  a  town  in  the  interior, 
and  Kazeh  is  only  a  collection  of  six  immense  intrenched 
camps.  Within  these  are  collected  the  houses  and  huts  of 
slaves  with  small  courts  and  gardens,  carefully  cultivated 
with  onions,  yams,  melons,  pumpkins,  and  mushrooms  of  a 
perfect  flavor  there  grown  to  perfection. 

Unyamwezy  is  the  veritable  Land  of  the  Moon,  the 
fertile  and  beautiful  park  of  Africa,  in  the  center  of  the 
district  of  the  Unyanembe,  a  delightful  country,  where  some 
Omani  families,  who  are  Arabs  of  the  purest  blood,  live  in 
idleness.  These  people  have  for  a  long  time  trafficked  in 
the  interior  of  Africa  and  in  Arabia;  they  deal  in  gum, 
ivory,  striped  cloths,  slaves;  their  caravans  penetrate  these 
equatorial  regions  in  all  directions;  they  there  seek  upon 
the  coast  objects  of  pleasure  and  luxury  for  the  rich  mer- 
chants, and  they,  surrounded  by  wives  and  slaves,  live  in 
this  beautiful  country  and  enjoy  an  existence  the  least 
agitated  and  the  most  horizontal  possible,  always  stretched 
at  full  length,  laughing,  smoking,  or  sleeping. 

Around  the  camps  are  numerous  native  huts,  large  spaces 
for  the  market  fields  of  cannabis  and  datuna,  of  lovely  trees 
and  most  refreshing  shade.    Such  is  Kazeh. 

There  is  also  the  general  rendezvous  for  the  caravans, 
those  from  the  south  with  slaves  and  ivory,  and  from  the 
west,  which  bring  cotton  and  glassware  to  the  tribes  around 
the  Great  Lakes.  Also  in  the  market  there  is  a  continual 
movement,  a  regular  hubbub,  in  which  the  cries  of  the  half- 
breed  porters  mingle  with  the  sound  of  drums  and  cornets, 
the  whinnying  of  mules,  the  braying  of  donkeys,  the  songs 
of  women,  the  crying  of  children,  and  the  blows  of  the 
rattan  of  the  jemidar,  who  beats  the  time  in  this  pastoral 
symphony. 


THE  SONS  OF  THE  MOON  247 

There  are  the  wares  exposed  for  sale  without  any  kind 
of  order,  even  in  a  charming  disorder.  Showy  stuffs, 
colored  glass  beads,  ivory  rhinoceros'  teeth,  sharks'  teeth, 
honey,  tobacco,  and  cotton.  There  they  carry  on  the  most 
strange  bargains,  each  object  having  just  so  much  value  as 
it  excites  desire. 

Suddenly  this  hubbub  and  movement  ceased,  the  noise 
immediately  subsided.  The  "  Victoria  "  had  appeared  in 
the  sky,  sailing  along  majestically  and  descending  slowly 
without  losing  its  vertical  position.  Men,  women,  children, 
slaves,  merchants,  Arabs,  and  negroes  all  disappeared  and 
glided  away  into  the  "  tembes  "  and  beneath  the  huts. 

"  My  dear  Samuel,"  said  Kennedy,  "  if  we  continue  to 
produce  such  an  effect  as  this  we  shall  have  some  difficulty 
to  establish  commercial  relations  with  these  people." 

*'  There  is,  nevertheless,  one  very  simple  mercantile  trans- 
action to  be  carried  out,"  said  Joe;  "  that  is,  to  quietly  de- 
scend and  carry  away  the  most  valuable  merchandise  with- 
out troubling  the  merchants.    We  should  then  get  rich." 

"  You  see,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  the  natives  have  only 
been  terrified  for  the  moment.  They  will  not  delay  to 
return,  impelled  either  by  superstition  or  curiosity." 

"You  think  so,  sir?" 

"  We  shall  soon  see,  but  it  will  be  prudent  to  keep  at  a 
little  distance.  The  '  Victoria '  is  neither  an  ironclad  nor 
armored.  There  is  no  shelter  from  a  bullet  nor  from  an 
arrow." 

"  Do  you  then  intend  to  enter  into  conference  with  these 
Africans,  my  dear  Samuel?  " 

"  Perhaps  so — why  not  ?  There  ought  to  be  in  KazeH 
Arab  merchants  who  are  not  ignorant  men.  I  remember 
that  Messrs.  Burton  and  Speke  were  much  pleased  with  the 
hospitality  of  this  town.    So  we  can  try  our  luck." 

The  "  Victoria "  gradually  approached  the  earth,  and 
made  fast  one  of  the  grapnels  to  the  top  of  a  tree  near  the 
market-place. 

The  entire  population  now  turned  out;  heads  were 
cautiously  advanced.  Many  "  Waganga,"  easily  recogniz- 
able by  their  badges  of  shell-fish,  advanced  boldly.  They 
were  the  sorcerers  of  the  place.  They  carried  at  the  waist 
small  gourds  rubbed  over  with  grease,  and  many  objects  of 
magic  use  of  a  dirtiness,  nevertheless,  quite  professional. 


(I 


248  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

By  degrees  the  crowd  advanced  to  the  sorcerers,  the  women 
and  children  surrounding  them,  the  drummers  rivaled  each 
other  in  din,  hands  were  clasped  and  held  up  towards  the 
sky. 

"That  is  their  manner  of  praying,"  said  Doctor  Fer- 
guson. "If  I  am  not  in  error,  we  shall  be  called  upon  to 
undertake  an  important  part." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  play  it." 
Even  you,  my  brave  Joe,  may  perhaps  become  a  god." 
Well,  sir,  that  won't  worry  me  much,  and  the  incense 
will  be  rather  agreeable  than  otherwise." 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  sorcerers,  a  "  Waganga," 
made  a  gesture,  and  the  clamor  sank  into  profound  silence. 
He  addressed  some  words  to  the  travelers,  but  in  a  tongue 
unknown  to  them. 

Doctor  Ferguson,  not  understanding  what  was  said,  re- 
plied at  hazard  in  a  few  words  of  Arabic,  and  was  imme- 
diately answered  in  that  language. 

The  orator  then  delivered  a  flowing  speech,  very  flowery 
and  very  distinct.  The  doctor  had  no  difficulty  in  perceiv- 
ing that  the  "  Victoria  "  was  actually  taken  for  the  moon 
in  person,  and  that  this  amiable  goddess  had  deigned  to 
approach  the  town  with  her  three  sons,  an  honor  which 
would  never  be  forgotten  in  that  country — beloved  by  the 
sun. 

The  doctor  replied,  with  great  dignity,  that  the  moon 
made  every  thousand  years  a  departmental  tour,  feeling  the 
necessity  of  showing  herself  to  her  worshipers.  He  then 
prayed  them  to  take  advantage  of  her  divine  presence  by 
making  known  their  wants  and  vows. 

The  sorcerer  replied  that  the  sultan,  the  "  Mwani,"  had 
been  ill  for  many  years,  had  asked  the  assistance  of  Heaven, 
and  he  now  begged  the  sons  of  the  moon  to  come  to  him. 

The  doctor  imparted  the  invitation  to  his  companions. 

"  And  will  you  go  to  that  nigger  king?  "  said  the  Scotch- 
man. 

"  Certainly.  These  people  appear  to  me  to  be  well  dis- 
posed, the  day  is  calm,  there  is  scarcely  a  breath  of  wind. 
We  have  nothing  to  fear  for  the  "  Victoria." 

"  But  what  will  you  do?  " 

"  Be  quiet,  my  dear  Dick ;  with  a  little  medicine  I  will 
manage  to  get  out  of  it." 


THE  SONS  OF  THE  MOON  249 

Then  addressing  the  crowd  he  said :  "  The  moon,  taking 
pity  upon  the  sovereign,  so  dear  to  the  people  of  Unyam- 
wezy,  has  confided  his  recovery  to  our  hands.  Let  him  pre- 
pare to  receive  us." 

The  cries,  shouts,  and  gesticulations  were  redoubled,  and 
the  entire  vast  "  ant-hill "  of  black  heads  was  in  motion. 

"  Now,  my  friends,"  said  Doctor  Ferguson,  "  it  will  be 
necessary  to  be  ready  for  anything;  we  may  be  obliged  to 
retreat  at  any  moment.  Dick  shall  remain  in  the  car,  and 
by  means  of  the  blow-pipe,  keep  up  a  sufficient  ascensional 
power.  The  grapnel  is  firmly  fixed,  so  there  is  no  danger  on 
that  score.  I  will  get  down,  Joe  will  also  get  out,  but  will 
remain  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder." 

"  What,  are  you  going  alone  to  this  blackamoor's 
house  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Samuel,  don't  you  wish  me  to  accompany 
you  through  this  ?  "  said  Joe. 

"  No,  I  shall  go  alone :  these  people  imagine  that  the 
moon  has  come  to  pay  them  a  visit.  I  am  protected  by 
their  superstition,  so  have  no  fear,  and  let  each  one  remain 
at  his  post  as  I  have  arranged." 

"  Since  you  wish  it,"  said  the  Scot,  "  it  shall  be  so." 

"  Mind  you  attend  to  the  expansion  of  the  gas." 

"  All  right." 

The  cries  of  the  natives  again  increased,  they  demanded 
the  intervention  of  heaven  very  energetically  indeed. 

"Do  you  hear?"  cried  Joe.  "I  think  they  are  a  little 
too  dictatorial  to  their  beautiful  moon  and  her  sons." 

The  doctor,  supplied  with  his  medicine-chest,  came  out 
of  the  balloon,  preceded  by  Joe,  and  descended.  The  lat- 
ter was  as  grave  and  dignified  as  was  in  his  nature  to  be. 
He  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  and  crossed  his  legs, 
Arab-fashion — a  portion  of  the  crowd  surrounded  him  at  a 
respectful  distance. 

Meantime,  Doctor  Ferguson,  preceded  by  musicians,  and 
escorted  by  religious  dancers,  advanced  slowly  towards  tlie 
royal  "  tembe,"  situated  some  distance  from  the  town.  It 
was  now  about  three  o'clock,  and  the  sun  was  shining  hotly 
— he  could  not  do  less  under  the  circumstances. 

The  doctor  advanced  with  dignity;  the  Waganga  sur- 
rounded him,  and  kept  back  the  crowd.  Ferguson  was 
soon  joined  by  the  natural  son  of  the  sultan,  a  well-made 


250  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

young  fellow,  who,  following  the  custom  of  the  country, 
was  the  sole  inheritor  of  the  parent's  goods  and  posses- 
sions, to  the  exclusion  of  legitimate  children.  He  pros- 
trated himself  before  the  son  of  the  moon,  who  raised  him 
with  a  gracious  gesture. 

Three-quarters  of  an  hour  afterwards,  through  shady 
paths  in  the  midst  of  a  luxuriant  tropical  vegetation,  the 
enthusiastic  procession  arrived  at  the  palace  of  the  sultan, 
a  kind  of  square  house,  called  Ititenya,  and  situated  upon 
the  slope  of  a  hill.  A  species  of  veranda,  made  by  the 
straw  roof,  covered  the  exterior,  and  was  supported  by 
wooden  posts,  with  some  pretension  to  carving  displayed 
upon  them.  Long  streaks  of  reddish  clay  ornamented  the 
walls,  attempts  to  depict  men  and  snakes,  the  latter  being 
naturally  more  successful  than  the  former.  The  roof  of 
this  habitation  did  not  rest  directly  upon  the  walls,  so  the 
air  could  circulate  freely,  though  there  were  no  windows 
and  scarcely  a  door. 

Doctor  Ferguson  was  received  with  great  honors  by  the 
guards  and  favorites,  men  of  a  handsome  race,  the  Un- 
yamwezi,  a  pure  type  of  the  population  of  Central  Africa, 
strong  and  healthy,  well  made,  and  erect  in  their  bearing. 
Their  hair,  divided  into  a  quantity  of  small  curls,  fell  down 
upon  their  shoulders;  and  by  means  of  incisions  colored 
black  or  blue,  they  tattooed  their  cheeks  from  the  temples 
to  the  mouth.  Their  ears,  very  much  distended,  were  or- 
namented with  discs  of  wood  and  gum  copal;  they  were 
clothed  with  emeu,  brilliantly  colored ;  the  soldiers,  well 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows — the  latter  poisoned  and 
barbed — with  cutlasses  and  "  simes,"  a  long  saw-toothed 
sword,  and  hatchets. 

The  doctor  entered  the  palace.  There,  in  describing 
the  sultan's  symptoms,  the  hubbub,  already  great,  was  re- 
doubled. The  doctor  remarked  on  the  lintel  of  the  door 
that  tails  of  hares  and  zebras'  manes  were  suspended  as 
talismans.  He  was  received  by  a  troop  of  Her  Majesty's 
ladies  to  the  harmonious  accompaniment  of  the  "  upatu,"  a 
kind  of  cymbal  constructed  from  the  bottom  of  copper  pots, 
and  of  the  "  kilindo,"  a  drum  about  five  feet  high,  hollowed 
out  from  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  which  is  played  by  two 
performers,  hammering  it  as  hard  as  possible  with  their 
fists. 


THE  SONS  OF  THE  MOON  251 

The  greater  number  of  the  women  appeared  very  pretty, 
and  laughingly  smoked  tobacco  and  "  thang "  in  large 
black  pipes.  They  appeared  to  be  well  formed,  so  far  as 
the  long  and  graceful  robe  permitted  their  figures  to  be 
seen,  and  wore  a  kind  of  kilt  of  calabash  fibers  fastened 
round  their  waists. 

Six  of  them,  though  destined  to  be  sacrificed,  were  by  no 
means  the  least  gay  of  the  assembly.  At  the  death  of  the 
sultan  they  were  to  be  buried  alive  with  him,  so  as  to  keep 
him  company  in  his  otherwise  somewhat  distressing  soli- 
tude. 

Doctor  Ferguson,  having  taken  all  this  in  at  a  glance, 
advanced  towards  the  monarch's  couch.  There  he  saw  a 
man  of  about  forty,  perfectly  brutalized  by  dissipation  of 
all  kinds,  and  for  whom  he  could  do  nothing.  His  malady, 
which  had  lasted  some  years,  was  nothing  but  constant  in- 
toxication. This  royal  drunkard  had  by  degrees  lost  con- 
sciousness, and  all  the  ammonia  in  the  world  could  not 
cure  him. 

The  favorites  and  the  women,  bending  their  knees, 
bowed  themselves  down  during  this  solemn  visit.  By 
means  of  a  few  drops  of  a  strong  cordial,  the  doctor  for 
a  moment  animated  the  stupefied  body.  The  sultan 
moved,  and  for  a  corpse  which  had  given  no  sign  of  ex- 
istence for  hours,  to  move  at  all  was  hailed  with  acclama- 
tion in  honor  of  the  doctor. 

He,  who  had  had  enough  of  it,  put  his  would-be  worship- 
ers aside  by  a  rapid  movement,  and  quitted  the  palace. 
He  made  towards  the  "  Victoria,"  for  it  was  now  six 
o'clock. 

Joe,  during  his  master's  absence,  waited  patiently  at  the 
foot  of  the  ladder,  the  crowd  paying  him  the  greatest  at- 
tention. As  a  true  son  of  the  moon  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion. For  a  god  he  had  the  appearance  of  a  brave  man 
enough,  not  at  all  proud,  even  with  young  African  ladies, 
who  never  ceased  to  stare  at  him.  He  also  conversed 
amicably  with  them. 

"Keep  worshiping,  ladies,  keep  it  up,"  he  said.  "I 
am  a  pretty  good  sort  of  devil,  although  the  son  of  a 
goddess." 

They  offered  him  propitiatory  gifts,  usually  placed  in 
the  "  mzimu  "  or  fetish-houses.     These  consisted  of  barley 


252  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

and  "  pembe."  Joe  felt  himself  constrained  to  taste  this 
species  of  strong  beer,  but  his  palate,  though  not  unaccus- 
tomed to  gin  or  whisky,  could  not  stand  that.  He  made  a 
fearful  grimace,  which  the  audience  took  for  an  amiable 
smile. 

Then  the  young  girls,  setting  up  a  slow  sort  of  chanting, 
executed  a  solemn  dance  round  him. 

"  Ah !  you  dance,  do  you  ?  Very  well,  I  will  not  be  be- 
hind-hand with  you,  and  will  show  you  a  dance  of  my 
country." 

He  then  began  a  most  extraordinary  kind  of  a  jig,  turning 
over,  throwing  himself  about  in  all  directions,  dancing  on 
his  feet,  on  his  knees,  on  his  hands,  and  twisting  himself  in 
the  most  extraordinary  contortions  and  incredible  posi- 
tions, accompanied  by  the  most  horrible  grimaces,  thus 
giving  the  people  a  strange  notion  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  gods  dance  in  the  moon. 

Now  all  Africans  are  as  imitative  as  apes,  and  very 
quickly  did  his  audience  reproduce  his  behavior,  gambols, 
and  contortions;  they  did  not  lose  a  gesture,  they  did  not 
forget  an  attitude;  the  result  being  a  hubbub  and  commo- 
tion of  which  it  is  difficult  to  give  the  least  idea.  In  the 
midst  of  all  this  festivity  Joe  perceived  the  doctor. 

He  was  approaching  hastily  in  the  center  of  a  yelling 
and  disordered  crowd.  The  sorcerers  and  priests  appeared 
to  be  the  most  excited.  They  surrounded  and  pressed  upon 
the  doctor  with  threatening  gestures.  What  a  strange 
alteration.  What  had  happened?  Had  the  sultan  unfor- 
tunately died  under  the  celestial  doctor's  hands? 

Kennedy,  from  his  position,  perceived  the  danger  with- 
out comprehending  the  cause.  The  balloon,  pulling 
strongly,  was  stretching  the  rope  that  held  it  as  if  impa- 
tient to  rise  into  the  air. 

The  doctor  came  to  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  A  super- 
stitious fear  still  kept  back  the  crowd,  and  prevented  their 
using  violence ;  he  rapidly  ascended  and  Joe  followed. 

"  There  is  not  an  instant  to  lose,"  said  his  master. 
"  Never  mind  detaching  the  grapnel.  We  must  cut  the 
cord.     Follow  me." 

"  What  is  it?  "  said  Joe,  ascending. 

"  What  has  happened  ? "  cried  Kennedy,  carbine  in 
hand. 


THE  SONS  OF  THE  MOON  253 

"  Look  there !  "  replied  the  doctor,  pointing  towards  the 
horizon. 

"Well?"  asked  the  Scot. 

"Well!  it's  the  moon!" 

In  fact  the  moon,  red  and  glorious  as  a  globe  of  fire 
upon  an  azure  background,  was  then  rising — she  and  the 
"  Victoria  "  together. 

Either,  therefore,  there  were  two  moons,  or  the  strangers 
were  nothing  but  impostors  and  false  gods.  Such  were 
the  natural  thoughts  of  the  crowd.     Hence  the  change. 

Joe  could  not  help  laughing  heartily.  The  people  of 
Kazeh,  beginning  to  understand  that  their  prey  would  es- 
cape, gave  vent  to  prolonged  howls,  and  bows  and  guns 
were  directed  towards  the  balloon.  But  at  a  sign  from 
one  of  the  sorcerers  the  weapons  were  lowered,  he  jumped 
into  the  tree  with  the  intention  to  seize  the  rope  of  the 
grapnel  and  bring  the  balloon  to  the  ground. 

Joe  leaned  over  with  a  hatchet  in  his  hand. 

"Shall  I  cut  it?  "he  asked. 

"  Wait  a  little,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  But  that  nigger " 

"  We  may  perhaps  save  our  grapnel,  and  I  think  so. 
We  can  cut  it  at  any  time." 

The  sorcerer,  having  gained  the  tree,  went  to  work  so 
vigorously  in  the  branches  that  he  detached  the  grapnel, 
which,  being  violently  dragged  by  the  balloon,  caught  the 
sorcerer  between  the  legs,  and  so  he,  astride  on  this  unex- 
pected steed,  set  out  for  the  region  of  the  sky. 

The  crowd  were  stupefied  to  perceive  one  of  their 
Waganga  launched  into  space. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Joe,  as  the  "  Victoria  "  mounted  very 
rapidly. 

"He  holds  tight,"  said  Kennedy;  "a  little  journey  will 
do  him  good." 

"Shall  we  let  him  go  altogether?"  suggested  Joe. 

"  For  shame !  "  rephed  the  doctor.  "  We  will  put  him 
gently  down  presently,  and  I  believe  that  after  such  an 
adventure  his  magical  power  will  be  singularly  increased  in 
his  companions'  estimation." 

"  I  daresay  they  will  make  a  god  of  him,"  said  Joe. 

The  "  Victoria "  had  now  arrived  at  an  elevation  of 
about  1,000  feet.     The  negro  held  on  to  the  cord  with  tre- 


254  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

mendous  energy.  He  was  quite  silent,  and  his  eyes  were 
fixed.  His  terror  mastered  his  astonishment  completely. 
A  light  breeze  carried  the  balloon  below  the  town. 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  doctor,  seeing  the  coast  was 
clear,  m.oderated  the  blow-pipe,  and  approached  the  earth. 
At  twenty  feet  from  the  ground  the  sorcerer  took  courage 
and  dropped,  fell  upon  his  feet,  and  ran  towards  Kazeh  at 
the  top  of  his  speed,  while  the  "  Victoria "  once  more 
ascended  into  the  air. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE    FUTURE    OF    AFRICA 

"  There  !  "  cried  Joe,  "  that  comes  of  being  sons  of  the 
moon  without  leave.  That  satellite  was  very  nearly  play- 
ing us  a  shabby  trick.  Do  you  think,  now,  sir,  that  you 
in  any  way  compromised  her  reputation  by  your  medi- 
cine?" 

"  By-the-by,"  said  the  Scot,  "  who  is  this  sultan  of 
Kazeh?" 

"  An  old,  half-dead  drunkard,  whose  loss  will  not  be 
very  much  felt;  but  the  moral  of  the  thing  is  this:  that 
honors  are  ephemeral,  and  we  ought  only  to  taste  them," 

"So  much  the  worse,"  said  Joe;  "that  was  my  case. 
To  be  adored,  to  play  the  god  at  one's  pleasure,  when,  all 
of  a  sudden,  the  mioon  rises  with  a  very  red  face  to  show 
she  does  not  approve  of  it." 

During  this  conversation,  and  subsequently,  while  Joe 
was  examining  the  evening  star  from  an  entirely  new  point 
of  view,  the  sky  towards  the  north  was  covering  itself  with 
heavy  clouds — with  heavy  and  threatening  clouds  too.  A 
pretty  brisk  breeze  had  sprung  up  at  300  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  was  impelling  the  "  Victoria "  towards  the 
north-northwest.   The  sky  was  clear,  but  the  air  felt  heavy. 

The  travelers  found  themselves  about  eight  o'clock  in 
32°  40'  longitude,  and  latitude  4°  17';  the  atmospheric  cur- 
rents, under  the  influence  of  an  approaching  storm,  hur- 
ried them  forward  at  the  rate  of  thirty-five  miles  an  hour. 
The  fertile  and  undulating  plains  of  Mfuto  passed  rapidly 
beneath.  The  view  was  worthy  of  admiration,  and  was 
duly  admired. 


THE  FUTURE  OF  AFRICA  255 

"  We  are  now  regularly  in  the  country  of  the  moon," 
said  Doctor  Ferguson,  "  for  it  has  retained  this  name, 
which  was  anciently  bestowed  upon  it,  doubtless,  because 
the  moon  has  been  always  worshiped  here.  It  is  indeed 
a  magnificent  district,  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a 
more  beautiful  vegetation." 

"  That  sort  of  thing  would  not  be  natural  near  London," 
said  Joe,  *'  but  it  would  be  very  pleasant.  Why  are  all 
those  lovely  things  reserved  for  these  barbarous  coun- 
tries?" 

"  How  do  you  know  that  some  day  this  country  will  not 
have  become  the  center  of  civilization?  The  people  of  the 
future  ages  may  come  here  when  the  countries  of  Europe 
can  no  longer  support  their  inhabitants." 

"  Do  you  believe  that?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  Dick.  Look  at  the  march  of  events, 
consider  the  successive  emigrations  of  the  human  race,  and 
you  will  arrive  at  the  same  conclusion  as  I  have.  Is  it  not 
true  that  Asia  was  the  first  nurse  of  the  world?  For 
4,000  years,  perhaps,  she  was  fruitful  and  bore  her  chil- 
dren, and  then  when  stones  appear  where  the  golden  crops 
of  Homer  appeared,  her  children  leave  her  dry  and  withered 
bosom.  They  then  are  seen  invading  Europe,  young  and 
strong,  which  nourishes  them  for  2,000  years.  But  she 
is  already  losing  her  fertility,  her  producing  qualities  are 
diminishing  every  day;  these  new  evils  each  year  which 
attack  the  produce  of  the  soil,  the  deceptive  harvests,  the 
insufficient  supplies,  all  are  undoubted  signs  of  decreasing 
vitality,  of  approaching  weakness.  Also,  you  can  already 
perceive  that  people  are  throwing  themselves  upon  the 
richer  bosom  of  America,  not  indeed  inexhaustible,  but 
still  inexhausted.  In  its  turn,  this  newer  Continent  will 
become  old.  Its  virgin  forests  will  fall  under  the  ax  of 
industry,  its  soil  will  be  enervated,  because  it  had  produced 
too  much,  as  too  much  was  demanded  of  it. 

"  There,  where  two  crops  would  grow  every  year, 
scarcely  one  will  come  to  the  sickle.  Then  Africa  will 
offer  to  new  generations  the  accumulated  treasures  of  cen- 
turies. The  fatality  of  the  climate  to  strangers  will  yield 
to  the  purifying  influence  of  distribution  of  crops  and 
drainage;  the  scattered  streams  will  be  united  in  one  nav- 
igable river;  and  this  district,  over  which  we  are  passing, 


256  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

more  fertile,  richer,  quicker  producing  than  the  others, 
will  become  some  great  kingdom,  where  discoveries  will 
be  made  even  more  wonderful  than  steam  and  the  electric 
■telegraph," 

"  Ah,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  I  should  like  to  see  all  that." 

"  You  were  born  a  trfle  too  soon,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  After  all,  that  will  be  perhaps  a  more  tiresome  period, 
in  which  industry  will  absorb  all  to  its  profit.  In  conse- 
quence of  inventing  machines,  men  will  be  devoured  by 
them.  I  am  always  picturing  to  myself  that  the  last  day 
of  the  world  will  be  when  some  immense  boiler,  heated  up 
to  three  thousand  millions  of  atmospheres,  will  blow  our 
globe  into  space." 

"  And  I  daresay  the  Americans  will  not  be  the  last  to 
work  at  the  machine,"  said  Joe.  "  In  fact,  those  people  are 
wonderful  tinkers ;  but,  without  letting  ourselves  be  carried 
away  by  such  discussions,  let  us  admire  the  *  Land  of  the 
Moon,'  since  we  are  in  a  position  to  see  it." 

The  sun  was  pouring  his  last  rays  beneath  the  heaped-up 
masses  of  cloud,  and  was  gilding  the  small  elevations  with 
a  golden  crest.  The  huge  trees,  arborescent  herbs,  the 
cut  corn,  all  had  a  share  of  the  luminous  rays.  The  earth, 
gently  undulating,  rose  here  and  there  into  little  conical 
hills.  There  were  no  mountains  to  break  the  horizon. 
Immense  brambly  palisades,  impassable  hedges,  thorny 
jungles  separated  the  clear  spaces  in  which  numerous 
villages  were  spread  out.  The  gigantic  euphorbia  sur- 
rounded them  with  natural  fortifications,  entwining  them- 
selves with  the  coral-like  branches  of  the  shrubs. 

They  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  Malagazari,  the  princi- 
pal tributary  of  Lake  Tanganyika,  which  wound  round  the 
verdant  masses  of  vegetation.  Into  this  river  ran  numer- 
ous watercourses,  born  of  the  torrents  overflowed  during 
the  great  rising  of  the  waters,  or  from  ponds  hollowed  out 
in  the  clayey  soil.  It  appeared  to  the  observers,  elevated 
as  they  were,  that  a  regular  network  of  rivulets  was  flow- 
ing over  the  face  of  the  country. 

Immense  beasts  with  humps  were  feeding  in  the 
prairies,  and  occasionally  disappeared  altogether  in  the 
long  grass ;  the  forests,  of  a  wonderful  species  of  trees,  ap- 
peared like  enormous  bouquets,  but  in  these  bouquets,  lions, 
leopards,  hyenas,  and  tigers  took  refuge  from  the  declin- 

V.  I  Verne 


THE  FUTURE  OF  AFRICA  257 

ing  heat  of  the  day.  Sometimes  an  elephant  made  the 
coppices  shake,  and  they  distinctly  heard  the  crashing  of 
the  trees  which  gave  way  before  his  tusks. 

"  What  a  hunting  country !  "  exclaimed  Kennedy,  en- 
thusiastically;  "a  bullet  sent  in  there  at  hazard,  right  into 
the  forest,  would  meet  with  game  worthy  of  it.  Can  we 
not  have  a  try  at  it  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  my  dear  Dick ;  night  is  upon  us,  and  a  rather 
*  nasty  '  night  too,  bringing  a  storm  up  with  it.  Storms  in 
this  country  are  no  joke,  I  can  tell  you,  where  the  earth 
plays  the  part  of  an  immense  electric  battery." 

*'  You  are  right,  sir,"  said  Joe ;  "  the  heat  is  becoming 
stifling,  the  breeze  has  quite  died  away,  and  one  feels  that 
something  is  going  to  happen." 

"  The  atmosphere  is  surcharged  with  electricity,"  re- 
plied the  doctor;  "every  living  thing  is  aware  of  the  state 
of  the  air  which  precedes  a  conflict  of  the  elements;  but  I 
confess  I  never  have  been  impregnated  with  it  at  such  a 
height  myself." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Scot,  "  should  we  not  rather  descend?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Dick,  I  would  rather  go  higher  up. 
I  fear  only  to  be  hurried  out  of  my  course  during  the  cross 
atmospheric  currents." 

"  Do  you  wish,  then,  to  abandon  our  route  towards  the 
coast  ?  " 

"If  possible,"  replied  Ferguson,  "  I  will  go  more  di- 
rectly towards  the  north  for  seven  or  eight  degrees.  I  will 
endeavor  to  go  up  towards  the  supposed  latitude  of  the 
sources  of  the  Nile.  Perhaps  we  shall  discover  some 
traces  of  Captain  Speke's  expedition,  or  even  the  caravan 
of  M.  de  Heuglin.  If  my  calculations  be  correct,  we  are 
in  32°  40"  longitude,  and  I  should  like  to  go  up  beyond 
the  equator." 

"  Look  here,"  cried  Kennedy,  interrupting,  "  look  at 
those  hippopotomi  swimming  about  the  pools — what  masses 
of  flesh  they  are — and  see  the  crocodiles  gasping  in  their 
attempts  to  breathe." 

"  They  are  choking,"  said  Joe.  "  Ah !  what  a  splendid 
way  this  is  to  travel,  and  how  we  can  despise  all  those  hor- 
rible vermin.  Mr.  Samuel,  Mr.  Kennedy — look  at  those 
bands  of  animals  marching  closely  together.  There  must 
be  200  of  them,  at  least;  they  are  wolves." 


258  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"No,  Joe,  but  wild  dogs;  a  famous  breed,  which  have 
no  scruple  in  attacking  lions.  To  meet  such  a  pack  is  the 
most  fearful  experience  a  traveler  can  undergo.  He  would 
be  immediately  torn  in  pieces." 

"  Well,  it  will  not  be  Joseph  who  will  endeavor  to  muz- 
zle them,"  replied  that  pleasant  youth;  "  after  all,  it  is  their 
nature,  and  one  needn't  see  much  of  them." 

All  this  time  a  dread  silence  was  falling  around  little  by 
little,  under  the  influence  of  the  approaching  storm.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  heavy  air  had  become  incapable  of  trans- 
mitting sounds;  the  atmosphere  appeared  thickened,  and, 
like  a  room  hung  with  tapestry,  lost  all  sonorousness.  The 
pigeons,  the  crested  crane,  the  red  and  blue  jays,  the  mock- 
ing birds,  the  moucherolles,  hid  themselves  in  the  leafy 
trees.  All  nature  betrayed  the  symptoms  of  an  approach- 
ing convulsion.  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  was  hanging  motionless  above  Msene,  a  large  col- 
lection of  villages  scarcely  distinguishable  in  the  gloom. 
Sometimes  the  reflection  of  stray  beams  of  light  in  the 
dark  water  indicated  the  regularly  placed  ditches,  and,  by 
an  opening  in  the  clouds,  they  could  descry  the  dark  forms 
of  palms,  tamarinds,  sycamores,  and  the  gigantic  euphorbia. 

"  I  am  stifled,"  said  the  Scot,  taking  a  full  breath. 
"We  are  not  moving  any  longer.     Shall  we  descend?" 

"  But  kow  about  the  storm?"  said  the  doctor,  who  was 
not  very  comfortable. 

"If  you  are  afraid  of  being  carried  away  by  the  wind,  it 
seems  to  me  you  can  do  nothing  else." 

"  The  storm  may  not  burst  to-night,"  replied  Joe ;  "  the 
clouds  are  very  high." 

"  That  is  the  very  reason  I  am  hesitating  to  pass  them ; 
we  should  have  to  go  so  very  high  up,  and  lose  sight  of  the 
earth,  and  would  not  know  all  night  whether  we  were 
making  any  '  way,'  or,  if  so,  in  what  direction  we  were 
moving." 

"  Well,  make  up  your  mind,  my  dear  Samuel ;  time 
presses." 

"  It  is  very  annoying  that  the  wind  has  dropped,"  said 
Joe ;  "  it  might  have  carried  us  out  of  reach  of  the  storm." 

"  That  is  certainly  to  be  regretted,  my  friends,  as  the 
clouds  are  very  dangerous;  they  contain  opposing  currents, 
which  may  enclose  us  in  their  whirlwinds,  and  the  light- 


THE  FUTURE  OF  AFRICA  259 

ning  may  set  us  on  fire.  On  the  other  hand,  the  force  of 
the  squall  might  precipitate  us  to  the  ground  if  we  made 
fast  the  grapnel  to  the  top  of  a  tree." 

"Then  what  is  to  be  done?" 

"  We  must  keep  the  "  Victoria  "  in  a  middle  zone  be- 
tween the  earth  and  the  perils  of  the  sky.  We  have  a  suf- 
ficient quantity  of  water  for  the  blow-pipe,  and  our  200 
lbs.  of  ballast  is  intact." 

"  We  are  going  to  sit  up  with  you,"  said  the  Scot. 

"  No,  my  friends ;  put  the  provisions  under  cover  and  go 
to  bed.     I  will  call  you  if  necessary." 

"  But,  sir,  why  will  you  not  take  some  rest  yourself, 
since  nothing  threatens  us  yet?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,  my  lad,  I  would  rather  watch.  We 
are  motionless,  and  if  circumstances  do  not  change  we 
shall  find  ourselves  in  the  same  place  to-morrow." 

"  Good-night,  sir." 

"  Good-night,  if  that  be  possible." 

Kennedy  and  Joe  then  lay  down,  and  the  doctor  re- 
mained by  himself — alone  in  space.  Nevertheless,  the 
clouds  insensibly  descended  and  the  darkness  became  pro- 
found. 

The  black  arch  of  heaven  spread  across  the  terrestrial 
globe  as  if  about  to  overwhelm  it. 

Suddenly  a  vivid  flash  lit  up  the  gloom;  the  opening  in 
the  cloud  had  scarcely  closed  when  a  terrific  peal  of  thun- 
der shook  the  depths  of  the  sky. 

"  Get  up,  get  up ! "  cried  Ferguson.  The  two  sleepers, 
roused  by  the  appalling  thunder-crash,  held  themselves  in 
readiness  to  execute  his  orders. 

"  Are  you  going  down  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"No;  the  balloon  would  never  hold  out  there.  Let  us 
ascend  before  the  rain  comes  and  the  wind  gets  up."  And 
he  rapidly  urged  the  flame  of  the  blow-pipe. 

Tropical  storms  are  developed  with  a  rapidity  propor- 
tionate to  their  violence.  A  second  flash  broke  the  cloud, 
and  was  immediately  followed  by  twenty  others.  The  sky 
was  radiant  with  electric  sparks,  which  shriveled  up  under 
the  heavy  drops  of  rain. 

"  We  have  delayed  too  long,"  said  the  doctor.  "  We 
must  now  pass  through  a  belt  of  fire  with  our  balloon  filled 
with  inflammable  air." 


260  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  But  the  ground,  the  ground ! "  repeated  Kennedy. 

"  The  risk  of  being  struck  would  be  ahnost  the  same, 
and  we  should  be  quickly  knocked  to  pieces  against  the 
branches  of  trees,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  We  are  ascending,  Mr.  Samuel." 

"Quicker!  quicker!'* 

In  this  part  of  Africa,  during  the  equinoctial  gales,  it  is 
not  an  uncommon  experience  to  count  thirty  to  thirty-five 
flashes  of  lightning  per  minute.  The  sky  is  literally  on  fire, 
and  the  thunder  is  continuous.  The  wind  rages  with  ter- 
rific violence  in  this  fiery  atmosphere,  it  twists  and  tears 
the  clouds,  and  it  has  been  compared  to  the  blowing  of  an 
immense  bellows  which  keeps  all  this  fire  in  activity. 

Doctor  Ferguson  maintained  his  blow-pipe  at  full  pres- 
sure; the  balloon  expanded  and  ascended.  On  his  knees 
in  the  center  of  the  car  Kennedy  kept  hold  of  the  curtains 
of  the  tent.  The  balloon  gyrated  enough  to  give  the  trav- 
elers vertigo,  and  they  suffered  from  the  uneven  oscilla- 
tions. Huge  hollows  showed  in  the  shape  of  the  balloon 
pressed  upon  by  the  blasts.  The  silk  covering  strained  to 
the  utmost  and  crackled  like  a  volley  of  pistol  shots. 

A  sort  of  hail,  preceded  by  a  rushing  sound,  hissed 
through  the  air  and  rattled  upon  the  "  Victoria."  It  nev- 
ertheless continued  to  ascend;  the  lightning  described 
flaming  tangents  from  its  circumference ;  it  was  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  storm. 

"  God  preserve  us ! "  said  Ferguson,  "  we  are  in  His 
hands.  He  alone  can  save  us.  Let  us  be  prepared  for 
any  event,  even  for  fire;  our  fall  cannot  be  very  rapid." 

The  doctor's  voice  was  scarcely  heard  by  his  compan- 
ions, but  they  could  see  him  standing  unmoved  in  the  midst 
of  the  flashing  lightnings;  and  he  kept  looking  at  the 
"  corpse-light "  that  flickered  upon  the  network  of  the 
balloon.  The  balloon  itself  swayed  and  rolled,  but  kept 
ascending;  at  the  end  of  fifteen  minutes  it  had  passed  the 
line  of  storm-cloud.  The  electric  discharges  were  now 
beneath  it  like  an  immense  crown  of  artificial  fire  hanging 
from  the  car. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sights  that  nature 
could  present  to  man.  Below  the  storm  raged.  Above 
was  the  starry,  quiet,  and  silent  Heaven,  with  the  moon 
throwing  her  peaceful  rays  upon  the  angry  clouds. 


THE  FUTURE  OF  AFRICA]  261 

Doctor  Ferguson  looked  at  the  barometer;  it  indicated 
12,000  feet  elevation.     The  time  was  eleven  o'clock. 

"  Thank  Heaven  the  danger  is  over,"  said  he;  "  we  have 
now  only  to  remain  here  as  we  are." 

"  It  was  awful,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Joe,  "  that  gives  a  little  change  to  our 
journey,  and  I  am  not  sorry  to  have  seen  a  storm  from 
such  a  height.     It  was  a  magnificent  sight  indeed." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

NIGHT   ON   THE  GROUND 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  (Sunday)  the  sun 
rose  above  the  horizon,  the  clouds  dispersed  and  a  most 
pleasant  breeze  tempered  the  first  rays  of  the  morning 
light. 

The  sweetly-refreshed  earth  again  became  visible  to  the 
travelers.  The  balloon,  having  been  turning  round  in  the 
midst  of  opposing  currents,  had  scarcely  drifted  at  all,  and 
the  doctor,  permitting  the  gas  to  contract,  descended  at 
length  to  strike  a  more  northerly  direction.  For  a  long 
time  his  search  was  in  vain,  the  breeze  carried  him  to  the 
west,  even  within  sight  of  the  celebrated  Mountains  of  the 
Moon,  which  rise  up  in  a  semicircle  round  the  end  of  Lake 
Tanganyika.  Their  chain,  but  little  broken,  stood  out 
against  the  bluish  horizon — a  natural  fortification,  as  it 
were,  impassable  to  explorers  of  the  center  of  Africa; 
some  of  the  peaks  bore  traces  of  eternal  snow. 

"  We  are  now  in  an  unexplored  country,"  said  the  doc- 
tor; "Captains  Burton  and  Speke  advanced  far  into  the 
west,  but  they  were  not  able  to  reach  these  celebrated  moun- 
tains. Burton  even  denied  their  existence  as  affirmed  by 
his  companion ;  he  pretended  that  they  only  existed  in  the 
imagination  of  the  latter.  For  us,  my  friends,  no  doubt 
is  possible." 

"  Shall  we  pass  over  them?"  asked  Kennedy. 

"  I  hope  not.  I  expect  to  find  a  favorable  wind  to  bring 
me  back  to  the  equator.  I  will  wait  for  it  even,  if  neces- 
sary, and  treat  the  '  Victoria  '  like  a  ship  that  casts  anchor 
when  the  wind  is  contrary." 

The  prognostications  of  the  doctor  were  soon  realized. 


262  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

After  having  tried  different  elevations,  the  "  Victoria " 
sailed  away  to  the  northeast  at  a  moderate  speed. 

"  We  are  in  the  right  direction,"  said  he,  consulting  the 
barometer  as  he  spoke,  "  and  scarcely  200  feet  from  the 
ground;  the  circumstances  are  most  favorable  to  explore 
these  unknown  regions.  Captain  Speke,  when  proceeding 
to  discover  Lake  Ukereone,  went  up  more  to  the  east  in  a 
straight  line  above  Kazeh." 

"  Shall  we  go  long  in  this  direction?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Perhaps.  Our  aim  is  to  strike  a  point  near  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  and  we  have  more  than  600  miles  to  traverse 
to  the  extreme  limit  reached  by  the  explorers  from  the 
north." 

"  And  shall  we  not  put  our  feet  on  the  ground  in  order 
to  stretch  our  legs?  "  said  Joe. 

"  Yes,  certainly.  We  must  also  be  sparing  of  our  lar- 
der, and  on  the  way  you  will  be  able  to  provide  us  with 
fresh  meats." 

"  As  soon  as  ever  you  like,  friend  Samuel." 

"  We  shall  also  have  to  replenish  our  supply  of  water. 
Who  knows  we  may  not  be  borne  away  towards  barren 
districts?     We  must  therefore  take  precautions." 

At  mid-day  the  "  Victoria"  was  in  29°  15'  long,  and  3** 
15'  lat.  It  passed  over  the  village  of  Uyofu,  the  northern 
boundary  of  Unyamwezi,  abreast  of  the  Lake  Ukereone, 
which  they  had  not  hitherto  been  able  to  perceive.  The 
tribes  near  the  equator  appear  to  be  a  little  more  civilized, 
and  are  governed  by  absolute  monarchs,  whose  despotism 
is  unlimited.  Their  very  close  union  constitutes  the  pro- 
vince of  Karaywah. 

The  three  travelers  decided  that  they  would  descend  at 
the  first  favorable  landing-place.  They  proposed  to  make 
a  lengthy  halt,  and  the  balloon  was  to  be  carefully  exam- 
ined ;  so  the  flame  of  the  blow-pipe  was  moderated.  The 
grapnels,  thrown  from  the  car,  soon  came  in  contact  with 
the  high  grass  of  an  immense  prairie;  at  a  little  distance  it 
appeared  to  be  covered  with  close  verdure,  but  in  reality 
the  grass  was  seven  or  eight  feet  high. 

The  "  Victoria  "  skimmed  over  the  grass  without  bend- 
ing it,  like  an  immense  butterfly.  Nothing  was  in  sight; 
it  was  like  an  ocean  of  verdure  without  a  single  wave. 

"  We  may  go  a  long  time  like  this,"  said  Kennedy.     "  I 


NIGHT  ON  THE  GROUND  263 

do  not  perceive  a  tree  to  which  we  can  fasten  ourselves.     It 
appears  to  me  that  the  chase  must  be  given  up." 

"Wait,  my  dear  Dick;  you  never  could  hunt  in  grass 
higher  than  yourself.  We  shall  find  a  favorable  place  pres- 
ently." 

It  was,  indeed,  a  charming  excursion — a  veritable  navi- 
gation upon  this  sea — so  beautifully  green,  almost  trans- 
parent— undulating  softly  at  the  breathing  of  the  wind. 
The  boat  now  justified  its  name,  and  appeared  to  cleave 
the  waves,  except  when  a  fliglit  of  birds  with  splendid  plu- 
mage escaped  sometimes  from  the  high  grass,  and  with  a 
thousand  joyous  cries  broke  the  illusion.  The  grapnels 
plunged  into  this  lake  of  flowers  and  formed  a  furrow 
which  immediately  closed  behind  them  like  the  wake  of  a 
vessel. 

All  at  once  the  balloon  experienced  a  great  shock;  the 
grapnel  had  no  doubt  been  caught  in  the  fissure  of  a  rock 
concealed  beneath  the  gigantic  mass.  "  We  have  caught," 
said  Joe. 

"  All  right,  throw  out  the  ladder,"  said  Kennedy. 

These  words  had  scarcely  been  uttered,  when  a  sharp 
cry  resounded  through  the  air,  and  was  thus  commented 
upon  by  the  travelers.     "  What's  that?"  said  one. 

"  A  most  singular  cry !  " 

**  Hollo !  we  are  moving." 

"  The  anchor  has  detached." 

"  No,  it  is  all  right,"  said  Joe,  who  was  hauling  at  the 
rope.     "  It  is  the  rock  that  moves." 

A  great  disturbance  was  now  perceived  in  the  grass, 
and  soon  a  long  and  sinuous  form  raised  itself  over  them. 
"  A  serpent !  "  cried  Joe. 

"  A  serpent !  "  said  Kennedy,  snatching  up  a  carbine. 
No,"  said  the  doctor,  "  it  is  the  trunk  of  an  elephant.'* 
An  elephant,   Samuel?"  and  Kennedy,   as  he   spoke, 
brought  the  gun  to  his  shoulder. 

"  Wait,  Dick,  wait." 

"  Without  doubt,  the  animal  will  pull  us  along." 

"  And  in  the  right  direction,  Joe." 

The  elephant  advanced  with  some  rapidity,  and  soon 
arrived  at  an  open  space,  where  they  had  an  uninterrupted 
view  of  him.  In  his  enormous  bulk,  the  doctor  recognized 
the  male-  of  a  magnificent  spjecies;  he  had  two  beautiful 


it 
tt 


264  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

tusks,  with  a  most  graceful  curve,  which  appeared  about 
eight  feet  long — the  flukes  of  the  grapnel  were  firmly  fas- 
tened between  them. 

The  animal  tried  in  vain  with  his  trunk  to  loose  the  cord 
that  bound  him  to  the  car. 

"  Go  ahead  cheerily !  "  cried  Joe  delighted,  and  doing  his 
best  to  urge  on  this  strange  turn-out.  "  Here  is  quite  a 
new  way  of  traveling.  Talk  of  a  horse,  indeed!  An  ele- 
phant, if  you  please." 

"But  where  will  he  lead  us  to?"  asked  Kennedy,  shift- 
ing his  gun  from  hand  to  hand. 

"  He  will  take  us  wherever  he  likes,  my  dear  Dick;  have 
a  little  patience." 

"  Wig-a-more !  wig-a-more !  as  the  Scotch  peasants  say," 
cried  the  delighted  Joe.     "  Go  on,  go  on." 

Th  animal  broke  into  a  rapid  gallop,  he  flung  his  trunk 
from  right  to  left,  and  in  his  boundings  he  gave  some  vio- 
lent shocks  to  the  car.  The  doctor,  ax  in  hand,  was  ready 
to  cut  the  rope  if  occasion  demanded. 

"  But,"  said  he,  "  we  will  not  give  up  our  anchor  till  the 
last  moment." 

This  race  at  the  tail  of  an  elephant  lasted  nearly  an  hour 
and  a  half.  The  animal  did  not  appear  in  any  way  fa- 
tigued. These  enormous  quadrupeds  can  keep  up  a  trot  for 
a  considerable  time,  and  day  after  day  they  accomplish 
immense  distances,  like  the  whales,  whose  size  and  speed 
they  possess. 

"  I  believe  it  is  a  whale  we  have  harpooned,"  said  Joe, 
"  and  we  are  only  imitating  the  maneuvers  of  the  whalers 
when  fishing." 

But  a  change  in  the  nature  of  the  ground  obliged  the 
doctor  to  modify  his  mode  of  progression. 

A  thick  wood  appeared  towards  the  north  of  the  prairie, 
about  three  miles  distant;  it  then  became  absolutely  neces- 
sary that  the  balloon  should  be  separated  from  its  con- 
ductor. 

So  Kennedy  was  assigned  the  duty  of  stopping  the  ele- 
phant. He  shouldered  his  carbine,  but  his  position  was 
not  favorable  to  strike  the  animal  successfully.  The  first 
ball  fired  at  the  skull  was  flattened  as  if  against  an  iron 
plate.  The  elephant  did  not  appear  the  least  inconven- 
ienced.    At  the  sound  of  the  discharge  he  accelerated  his 


NIGHT  ON  THE  GROUND  265 

pace,  and  his  speed  was  now  that  of  a  horse  at  full  gallop. 

"  The  devil !  "  exclaimed  Kennedy. 

"  What  a  hard  head  he  must  have,"  said  Joe. 

"  We  must  try  a  conical  bullet  in  the  shoulder,"  said 
Dick,  loading  his  gun  with  great  care.  He  fired.  The 
elephant  uttered  a  fearful  scream,  but  still  went  on  gal- 
lantly. 

"  Look  here,"  said  Joe,  taking  up  one  of  the  rifles,  "  I 
must  help  you,  Mr.  Dick,  or  we  shall  never  get  to  the  end 
of  this." 

And  two  bullets  were  quickly  lodged  in  the  flank  of  the 
animal.  He  stopped,  raised  his  trunk  high  in  the  air,  and 
then  continued  his  rapid  course  towards  the  wood.  He 
kept  shaking  his  enormous  head,  and  blood  began  to  flow 
from  his  wounds. 

"  Let  us  keep  firing,  Mr.  Dick,"  said  Joe. 

"  Yes,  and  well-sustained  fire,  too,"  said  the  doctor;  "  we 
are  only  a  few  yards  from  the  wood." 

Ten  shots  were  rapidly  fired ;  the  elephant  made  a  terrific 
bound;  the  car  and  the  balloon  cracked  as  if  they  were 
coming  to  pieces.  The  shock  caused  the  doctor  to  drop 
the  ax  to  the  ground. 

Their  situation  was  critical.  The  rope  of  the  grapnel 
was  fastened  so  tightly  that  it  could  not  be  detached,  nor 
could  it  be  cut  by  the  knives  the  travelers  possessed.  The 
balloon  was  rapidly  nearing  the  wood  when  the  elephant 
received  a  bullet  in  the  eye  at  the  moment  he  raised  his 
head.  He  stopped,  appeared  to  hesitate  for  a  moment, 
then  his  knees  bent  beneath  him,  and  he  exposed  his  flank 
to  the  assailants. 

"  Now  for  a  bullet  in  his  heart,"  cried  Kennedy,  as  he 
discharged  his  carbine  for  the  last  time. 

The  elephant  uttered  a  roar  of  agony  and  distress,  half 
raised  himself  for  an  instant  as  he  waved  his  trunk  to  and 
fro,  and  then  fell  with  all  his  immense  weight  upon  one  of 
his  tusks,  which  was  broken  short  off.     He  was  dead. 

"  His  tusk  is  broken,"  cried  Kennedy.  "  That  ivory 
would  fetch  thirty-five  guineas  the  hundredweight  in  Eng- 
land." 

"  So  much  for  that,"  said  Joe,  as  he  lowered  himself  to 
the  ground  by  the  grapnel-rope. 

"  Why  these  regrets,  my  dear  Dick?  "  replied  the  doctor. 


266  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

**  We  are  not  ivory  merchants,  and  we  have  not  come  here 
to  make  our  fortunes,  have  we  ?  " 

Joe  inspected  the  grapnel.  It  was  still  firmly  fastened 
to  the  remaining  tusk.  Samuel  and  Dick  got  down  on  the 
ground  while  the  half-inflated  balloon  hovered  above  the 
carcass  of  the  elephant. 

"  What  a  splendid  beast,"  cried  Kennedy.  "  What  an 
enormous  mass  he  is.  I  have  never,  even  in  India,  seen 
such  a  fine  fellow." 

"  That  is  not  so  surprising,  my  dear  Dick.  The  ele- 
phants of  Central  Africa  are  the  biggest  naturally.  They 
have  been  hunted  so  much  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Cape 
by  the  Andersons  and  the  Cummings,  that  they  have  mi- 
grated towards  the  equator,  where  we  shall  frequently 
meet  them  in  large  numbers." 

"  In  the  meantime,"  said  Joe,  "  I  hope  we  shall  have  a 
taste  of  this  fellow.  I  will  pledge  myself  to  provide  you  a 
savory  meal  at  this  gentleman's  expense.  Mr.  Kennedy 
can  go  hunting  for  an  hour  or  two;  Mr.  Samuel  can  in- 
spect and  overhaul  the  *  Victoria,'  and  I  will  play  the  cook.'* 

"  That  is  well  arranged,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  So  each 
to  his  occupation." 

"  Well,  I  shall  take  the  two  hours'  liberty  that  Joe  has 
been  so  kind  as  to  give  me,"  said  Kennedy, 

"  By  all  means,  my  friend,  but  don't  be  rash.  Do  not 
go  too  far." 

"You  may  be  easy  on  that  score,"  said  Dick;  and, 
armed  with  his  rifle,  he  plunged  into  the  wood. 

Then  Joe  set  about  his  avocations.  First,  he  made  a 
hole  in  the  ground  about  two  feet  deep,  which  he  filled  with 
the  dead  branches  of  trees  which  strewed  the  ground  in 
consequence  of  the  passages  forced  through  the  woods  by 
the  elephants,  traces  of  which  were  clearly  seen.  The  hole 
filled  up,  he  thrust  in  at  the  top  a  log  about  two  feet  long, 
and  set  fire  to  it. 

He  then  turned  to  the  elephant,  which  had  fallen  only 
about  fifty  yards  from  the  wood,  and  dexterously  cut  off 
the  trunk,  which  measured  nearly  two  feet  wide  at  the  head. 
He  chose  the  most  delicate  portions,  and  added  one  of  the 
sponge-like  feet.  These  are  considered  the  tid-bits  of  the 
animal,  as  is  the  buffalo-hump,  the  paws  of  the  bear,  or  the 
boar's  head. 


NIGHT  ON  THE  GROUND  267 

When  the  log  was  completely  consumed  inside  and  out- 
side, the  hole,  emptied  oi  the  cinders  and  ashes,  was  very 
hot,  so  the  pieces  of  the  elephant's  flesh,  wrapped  in  aro- 
matic leaves,  were  laid  at  the  bottom  of  this  improvised 
furnace,  and  covered  with  the  hot  embers.  Then  Joe 
placed  a  second  log  over  all,  and  when  the  wood  was  burned 
out,  the  meat  was  done  to  a  turn. 

Then  Joe  took  the  dinner  from  the  oven,  placed  it  upon 
green  leaves,  and  laid  the  repast  in  the  center  of  a  meadow- 
like space.  He  brought  the  biscuits,  brandy,  and  cofTee, 
and  fetched  some  fresh  and  sparkling  water  from  a  neigh- 
boring stream. 

The  feast  thus  sent  up  was  pleasant  to  behold,  and  Joe, 
without  vanity,  thought  that  it  would  be  very  good  to 
eat. 

"  Here,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  here  is  a  journey  without 
danger,  meals  when  you  choose,  and  sleep  when  you  like: 
what  can  a  man  want  more  ?  And  that  good  Mr.  Kennedy 
did  not  want  to  come ! " 

Doctor  Ferguson,  for  his  part,  was  devoting  himself  to  a 
thorough  examination  of  his  balloon.  It  did  not  appear  to 
have  suffered  by  the  storm,  the  taffetas  and  gutta-percha 
had  resisted  wonderfully.  Taking  the  actual  distance  from 
the  ground,  and  calculating  the  ascensional  force  of  the 
balloon,  he  perceived  with  satisfaction  that  the  hydrogen 
was  still  in  the  same  volume.  The  envelope  up  to  this 
time  had  remained  impermeable. 

It  was  only  five  days  since  the  travelers  had  quitted 
Zanzibar,  the  pemmican  had  not  been  cut,  the  store  of 
biscuit  and  preserved  meat  was  sufficient  for  a  long  period, 
and  they  had  only  to  renew  their  reserve  of  water.  The 
tubes  and  the  coil  appeared  to  be  in  perfect  order;  thanks 
to  their  india-rubber  joints,  they  yielded  to  all  the  oscilla- 
tions of  the  balloon. 

Having  finished  his  inspection,  the  doctor  put  his  notes 
in  order.  He  made  a  most  successful  sketch  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  with  the  immense  prairie  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  the  forest,  and  the  balloon  standing  mo- 
tionless over  the  body  of  the  enormous  elephant. 

At  the  end  of  the  two  hours  Kennedy  returned  with  a 
string  of  partridges  and  a  haunch  of  venison  cut  from  the 
oryx — a  sort  of  gemsbok,  the  most  agile  species  of  ante- 


268  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

lopes.  Joe  took  upon  himself  to  prepare  this  addition  to 
the  repast. 

"  Dinner  is  ready ! "  he  soon  cried,  in  his  cheery  voice. 
And  the  three  travelers  had  only  to  seat  themselves  upon 
the  verdant  meadow.  The  feet  and  trunk  of  the  elephant 
were  pronounced  exquisite.  They  drank  to  "  Old  Eng- 
land," as  usual,  and  some  delicious  havanas  perfumed  the 
air  of  this  beautiful  region  for  the  first  time. 

Kennedy  ate,  drank,  and  talked  enough  for  four.  He 
was  intoxicated  with  the  surroundings.  He  seriously  pro- 
posed to  the  doctor  to  remain  in  that  forest,  and  to  con- 
struct a  leafy  cabin,  and  begin  a  sort  of  African  Robinson 
Crusoe  life.  This  proposition  was  not  otherwise  followed 
up,  although  Joe  promised  himself  to  take  the  part  of 
"  Friday." 

The  country  appeared  so  quiet,  so  deserted,  that  the 
Doctor  determined  to  pass  the  night  on  the  ground.  Joe 
made  a  circle  of  fire,  an  indispensable  barricade  against 
wild  beasts.  Hyenas,  cougars,  and  jackals,  attracted  by 
the  scent  of  the  elephant's  carcass,  came  prowling  around. 
Kennedy  occasionally  sent  a  shot  after  the  most  pressing  of 
these  visitors,  but  the  night  passed  without  any  unpleasant 
incident. 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

A   NIGHT  ON   AN   ISLAND 

Next  morning,  at  five  o'clock,  they  prepared  to  depart. 
Joe,  with  the  ax  which  he  had  fortunately  recovered,  cut 
off  the  elephant's  tusks.  The  "  Victoria,"  restored  to 
liberty,  carried  our  travelers  to  the  northeast  at  a  speed  of 
eighteen  miles  an  hour. 

The  doctor  had  carefully  ascertained  his  position  by  the 
altitude  of  the  stars  during  the  night.  He  made  it  2°  4' 
latitude  below  the  equator,  or  say  160  geographical  miles 
distant  from  it.  They  now  passed  over  several  villages 
without  noticing  the  cries  their  appearance  provoked. 
He  took  notes  of  the  form  of  the  locality  with  rapid 
sketches.  He  crossed  over  the  slopes  of  the  Rubemhe, 
almost  as  steep  as  the  summits  of  the  Ousagara,  and  later 
on  reached  the  Tenga,  the  first  spurs  of  the  Karagwah 
chain,  which,  according  to  him,  are  the  commencement  of 


A  NIGHT  ON  AN  ISLAND  269 

the  Mountains  of  the  Moon.  Now  the  old  legend,  which 
states  that  these  hills  are  the  cradle  of  the  Nile,  appears  to 
be  not  far  from  the  truth,  inasmuch  as  they  border  upon 
Lake  Ukereone,  the  supposed  reservoir  for  the  waters  of 
the  big  river. 

From  Kafuero,  the  central  market  of  the  native  mer- 
chants, he  perceived  at  length  on  the  horizon  the  long- 
sought  lake  which  Captain  Speke  got  a  glimpse  of  on  the 
3rd  of  August,  1858. 

Samuel  Ferguson  was  moved.  He  had  almost  arrived 
at  one  of  the  principal  points  of  his  expedition,  and,  tele- 
scope in  hand,  he  did  not  lose  a  corner  of  this  mysterious 
country  which  his  gaze  thus  drank  in. 

Beneath  him  the  ground  appeared  generally  exhausted; 
there  was  scarcely  a  hollow  cultivated;  the  plain,  dotted 
here  and  there  with  mounds  of  medium  elevation,  became 
level  as  it  approached  the  lake;  fields  of  barley  took  the 
place  of  rice.  There  was  the  plantain,  from  which  the 
wine  of  the  country  is  made,  and  the  "  mwani,"  a  wild 
plant  that  yields  coffee.  A  collection  of  fifty  circular  huts, 
covered  with  a  flowery  thatch,  constituted  the  capital  of 
Karagwah.  They  could  easily  distinguish  the  astonished 
faces  of  a  race  apparently  good-looking  and  of  a  yellowish- 
brown  color.  Women  of  a  most  incredible  corpulence 
were  working  in  the  fields,  and  the  doctor  astonished  his 
companions  by  informing  them  that  this  stoutness,  which 
is  highly  appreciated,  is  obtained  by  an  obligatory  diet  of 
curdled  milk. 

At  mid-day  the  "Victoria"  was  in  1°  45'  South  lati- 
tude; in  an  hour  the  wind  carried  it  over  the  lake.  Cap- 
tain Speke  called  this  Lake  "  Victoria  "  Nyanza.  In  this 
place  it  measures  ninety  miles  wide.  At  its  southern  ex- 
tremity the  captain  found  a  group  of  islands  which  he 
designated  the  Archipelago  of  Bengal.  He  pushed  his 
researches  as  far  as  Muanza  on  the  eastern  side,  where  he 
was  well  received  by  the  sultan.  He  made  a  triangulation 
of  this  part  of  the  lake;  but  he  could  not  procure  a  boat 
either  to  cross  it  or  to  visit  the  great  island  of  Ukereone. 
This  very  populous  island  is  governed  by  three  sultans,  and 
only  forms  a  peninsula  at  low  water. 

The  "  Victoria  "  approached  the  lake  more  towards  the 
north  to  the  doctor's  great  disappointment,  who  wanted  to 


270  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

note  the  lower  bends.  The  banks  bristled  with  thorny 
thickets  and  tangled  brushwood,  and  were  entirely  hidden 
under  a  cloud  of  millions  of  mosquitoes  of  a  clear  brown 
color;  the  country  then  appeared  to  be  uninhabitable  and 
uninhabited.  They  could  see  troops  of  hippopotami  wal- 
lowing amidst  the  reeds,  whence  they  plunged  beneath  the 
pellucid  water  of  the  lake. 

The  lake,  seen  from  above,  extended  to  such  a  distance 
towards  the  west  as  almost  to  appear  a  sea.  The  distance 
between  the  opposite  sides  of  the  lake  is  too  great  for  the 
establishment  of  communications;  besides,  the  storms  are 
frequent  and  fierce,  for  the  winds  rage  terribly  in  that  ele- 
vated and  open  basin. 

The  doctor  had  some  difficulty  to  manage  the  balloon — 
he  was  afraid  of  being  carried  away  towards  the  sea;  but 
fortunately  a  current  bore  him  directly  to  the  north,  and  at 
6  P.  M.  the  "  Victoria  "  pulled  up  at  a  small  desolate  island 
in  o°  30'  lat.  and  32°  52'  long.,  about  twenty  miles  from 
the  border  of  the  lake. 

The  travelers  were  enabled  to  make  the  balloon  fast  to 
a  tree,  and  the  wind  having  dropped  as  evening  came  on, 
they  remained  quietly  at  anchor.  They  did  not  venture 
to  get  down  on  the  ground,  for  here,  as  upon  the  banks  of 
the  Nyanza,  legions  of  mosquitoes  covered  the  earth  in  a 
thick  cloud.  Joe  returned  from  the  tree  even  covered  with 
bites,  but  he  did  not  trouble  himself  about  them,  as  he 
fancied  that  such  conduct  was  only  "the  nature  of  the 
animal." 

Nevertheless,  the  doctor,  somewhat  less  of  an  optimist, 
let  out  the  rope  to  its  furthest  extent  with  the  view  to  es- 
cape these  pestilent  insects,  which  were  hovering  about 
with  a  never-resting  "  trumpeting." 

The  doctor  reckoned  that  the  height  of  the  lake  above 
the  level  of  the  sea  was  as  determined  by  Captain  Speke; 
that  is  to  say,  3,750  feet. 

"So  we  are  on  an  island!"  cried  Joe,  scratching  him- 
self as  if  he  would  dislocate  his  wrists. 

"  We  shall  have  quickly  made  the  tour  of  it,"  replied  the 
Scot,  "  and,  except  these  blessed  insects,  I  don't  think  there 
is  a  living  thing  on  it." 

"  The  islands,  with  which  the  lake  is  studded,"  replied 
Doctor  Ferguson,  "  are  only,  in  fact,  the  summits  of  sub- 


A  NIGHT  ON  AN  ISLAND  271 

merged  hills,  but  we  are  fortunate  in  unuing  shelter  here, 
for  the  shores  of  the  lake  are  inhabited  by  ferocious  tribes. 
So  go  to  sleep  in  peace,  as  the  sky  gives  assurance  of  a 
quiet  night." 

"  Are  you  not  going  to  do  the  same,  Samuel?  " 

"  No,  I  cannot  close  my  eyes.  My  thoughts  are  such  as 
to  banish  sleep.  To-morrow,  my  friends,  if  the  wind  be 
favorable,  we  shall  proceed  due  north,  and  perhaps  dis- 
cover the  sources  of  the  Nile — the  impenetrable  secret ! 
So  near  to  the  sources  of  the  Great  River  I  cannot  sleep." 

Kennedy  and  Joe,  whose  scientific  cogitations  did  not 
trouble  them  to  so  great  an  extent,  did  not  hesitate  to  sleep 
soundly  under  the  doctor's  guardianship. 

On  Wednesday,  April  23rd,  the  "  Victoria  "  set  out  at 
four  o'clock  under  a  gray  sky.  The  darkness  seemed 
loath  to  leave  the  waters  of  the  lake,  which  was  enveloped 
in  a  thick  mist.  Soon,  however,  a  strong  breeze  dispersed 
all  this  fog.  The  "  Victoria  "  was  for  some  minutes  bal- 
anced, in  more  senses  than  one,  and  at  last  made  up  its 
mind  and  set  off  directly  towards  the  north. 

Doctor  Ferguson  clapped  his  hands  joyously. 

"  We  are  now  in  the  right  track,"  he  cried ;  "  to-day  or 
never  we  shall  see  the  Nile.  My  friends,  now  we  are  cross- 
ing the  equator — we  are  entering  our  own  hemisphere." 

"  Oh!  "  cried  Joe.  "  Do  you  think,  sir,  that  the  equator 
does  pass  by  here  ?  " 

"  At  this  very  spot,  my  brave  lad !  " 

"  Well,  *  saving  your  presence,'  sir,  it  seems  to  me  advis- 
able to  '  wet '  it  without  further  loss  of  time." 

"  Go  and  fetch  the  grog,"  said  the  doctor,  laughing;  "  you 
have  a  way  of  understanding  cosmography  which  is  not  to 
be  despised." 

And  that  was  how  they  celebrated  the  "  crossing  of  the 
line  "  in  the  "  Victoria." 

The  balloon  continued  to  glide  rapidly  along.  In  the 
west  they  could  perceive  the  low  and  somewhat  undulating 
coast;  at  the  end,  the  more  elevated  plains  of  Uganda  and 
Usoga.    The  wind  now  blew  with  great  force. 

The  waters  of  the  Nyanza  rose  and  broke  in  billows,  like 
those  of  the  ocean.  From  the  observation  of  certain  waves, 
which  kept  breaking  a  long  time  after  the  wind  lulled,  the 
doctor  reckoned  that  the  lake  was  of  great  depth.     Only  one 


2^2  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

or  two  large  boats  were  descried  during  the  rapid  transit. 

"  This  lake,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  evidently,  from  its  ele- 
vated position,  the  natural  reservoir  of  the  rivers  in  the  east- 
ern parts  of  Africa.  Heaven  gives  it  again  in  rain  what  it 
absorbs  in  vapors  from  its  effluents.  It  appears  to  me  cer- 
tain that  the  Nile  ought  to  have  its  source  here." 

"  We  shall  soon  see,"  said  Kennedy. 

Towards  nine  o'clock  the  coast  towards  the  west  was 
neared:  it  appeared  desert  and  wooded.  The  wind  backed 
a  little  to  the  east,  and  they  could  get  a  glimpse  of  the  other 
side  of  the  lake.  It  trended  so  as  to  terminate  in  a  very 
obtuse  angle,  about  2°  40'  North  latitude.  High  mountains 
stood  up  with  arid  peaks  at  this  end  of  the  Nyanza,  but  be- 
tween them  a  deep  and  winding  gorge  gave  vent  to  a  rip- 
pling stream. 

All  the  while  he  was  regulating  the  balloon,  Doctor  Fer- 
guson kept  examining  the  country  with  an  anxious  gaze. 

"  There  it  is,  my  friends,  there  it  is !  "  he  cried;  "  the  ac- 
counts of  the  Arabs  were  correct.  They  spoke  of  a  river 
by  which  the  Lake  Ukereone  discharged  itself  towards  the 
north,  and  this  river  exists.  We  will  descend  with  it,  and  it 
flows  with  a  rapidity  equal  to  ours.  And  this  drop  of  water 
which  passes  under  our  feet  is  surely  on  its  way  to  mingle 
with  the  Mediterranean  waves.     It  is  the  Nile !  " 

"  It  is  the  Nile,"  replied  Kennedy,  who  had  yielded  to 
the  enthusiasm  of  Samuel  Ferguson. 

"  Long  live  the  Nile ! "  cried  Joe,  who  cried  long  live 
anything  when  he  was  pleased. 

The  enormous  rocks  here  and  there  hindered  the  course 
of  this  mysterious  river.  The  water  boiled  up,  forming 
rapids  and  cataracts,  which  confirmed  the  doctor  in  his  sup- 
positions. These  surrounding  mountains  gave  rise  to  num- 
erous torrents  foaming  in  their  fall,  which  could  be  counted 
by  hundreds.  They  could  see  little  scattered  jets  of  water 
springing  from  the  earth,  crossing  each  other,  mingling  to- 
gether, and  vying  in  speed,  and  all  hastening  to  this  new- 
born stream,  which  became  a  river  after  it  had  absorbed 
them  all. 

"  That  is  really  the  Nile,"  replied  the  doctor,  now  con- 
vinced. "  The  origin  of  the  name  has  puzzled  the  learned  as 
much  as  the  source  of  its  waters.  They  have  declared  it 
comes  from  the  Greek,  from  the  Coptic,  from  the  Sanscrit. 

v.  I  Verne 


A  NIGHT  ON  AN  ISLAND  273 

After  all  it  is  not  much  matter,  since  they  could  not  disclose 
the  secret  of  its  source." 

"  But,"  said  the  Scot,  "  how  are  we  to  be  assured  of  the 
identity  of  this  river  with  that  which  travelers  from  the 
north  have  discovered?" 

"  We  shall  have  certain  irresistible  and  infallible  proofs," 
replied  Ferguson,  "  if  the  wind  only  favor  us  for  another 
hour." 

The  mountains  fell  back,  giving  place  to  numerous  vil- 
lages, to  fields  cultivated  with  the  oil  plant,  dourrah,  and 
sugar-canes.  The  tribes  of  these  countries  appeared  excited 
and  hostile.  They  approached  nearer  to  anger  than  adora- 
tion ;  they  looked  upon  the  travelers  as  strangers,  and  not  as 
gods.  It  seemed  to  them  that  in  coming  to  the  sources  of 
the  Nile  they  had  come  to  steal  something.  The  "  Vic- 
toria "  was  obliged  to  keep  out  of  musket  range. 

"  To  land  here  would  be  difficult,"  said  the  Scotchman. 

"  Well,"  said  Joe,  "  so  much  the  worse  for  the  natives — ^ 
we  shall  deprive  them  of  the  benefit  of  our  conversation." 

"  I  must  descend,  nevertheless,"  replied  Doctor  Fergu- 
son, "  if  only  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Otherv/ise  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  verify  the  results  of  our  exploration." 

"  Is  that  really  indispensable,  Samuel?  " 

**  It  is,  and  we  shall  descend  without  the  firing  of  a  gun." 

"  That  is  my  business,"  rephed  Kennedy,  patting  his  car- 
bine. 

"  Whenever  you  choose,  sir,"  said  Joe,  preparing  himself 
for  fighting. 

"  This  will  not  be  the  first  time,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that 
one  has  worked  for  science  arms  in  hand;  a  similar  thing 
happened  to  a  French  professor  in  the  Spanish  mountains 
when  he  was  measuring  the  terrestrial  meridian." 

You  be  quiet,  Samuel,  and  trust  to  your  bodyguard." 
Are  we  at  the  place  now,  sir?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  Not  yet.  Indeed  we  must  ascend  in  order  to  learn  the 
*  lie  of  the  land  '  a  little." 

The  hydrogen  was  expanded,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes 
the  "  Victoria  "  was  floating  at  a  height  of  2,500  feet. 

They  could  distinguish  from  that  elevation  an  inextric- 
able network  of  streams,  which  the  river  received.  It  flowed 
more  from  the  west  between  the  hills,  in  the  midst  of  a  fer- 
tile country. 


tt 


274  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  We  are  not  ninety  miles  from  Gondokoro,"  said  the  doc- 
tor, referring  to  the  map,  "  and  scarcely  five  miles  from  the 
point  reached  by  the  discoverers  from  the  north.  Let  us 
now  approach  the  earth,  but  cautiously." 

The  "  Victoria  "  descended  more  than  2,000  feet. 

"  Now,  my  friends,  be  ready  for  anything." 

"  We  are  ready,"  replied  Dick  and  Joe. 

"  Good,"  said  the  doctor. 

The  "  Victoria  "  sailed  over  the  bed  of  the  river  at  a 
height  of  scarcely  100  feet.  The  Nile  measured  fifty  fath- 
oms at  this  spot ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  tremendously  ex- 
cited in  the  villages  along  the  banks.  At  the  second  decree 
the  river  formed  a  cascade  about  ten  feet  high,  and  was  con- 
sequently impassable  for  boats. 

"  There  is  the  very  waterfall  spoken  of  by  M.  Debono!  " 
cried  the  doctor. 

The  bed  of  the  river  became  extended  and  dotted  with 
numerous  islands,  which  Ferguson  scanned  narrowly.  He 
seemed  to  be  seeking  a  landmark  which  he  had  not  hitherto 
perceived. 

Some  negroes  were  advancing  in  a  boat  beneath  the  bal- 
loon, Kennedy  saluted  them  with  a  shot,  which,  without 
touching  them,  sent  them  back  to  the  bank  pretty  quickly. 

"  Pleasant  voyage !  "  shouted  Joe;  "  in  their  place  I  would 
not  take  the  chance  of  returning.  I  should  have  a  whole- 
some fear  of  a  monster  who  could  hurl  thunder  at  me  at  his 
will." 

But  now  the  doctor  suddenly  seized  his  telescope  and  di- 
rected it  towards  an  island  situated  in  the  center  of  the 
river. 

"  Four  trees !  "  he  cried.  "  Do  you  see  them  down  there? 
In  fact  four  solitary  trees  were  observable  at  the  extremity 
of  the  island. 

"  'Tis  the  isle  of  Benga ;  it  is  indeed !  "  he  shouted. 

"  Well,  what  then?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  There  we  must  descend,  please  goodness." 

"  But  it  appears  to  be  inhabited,  Mr.  Samuel !  " 

"  Joe  is  right;  if  I  do  not  mistake,  there  are  about  twenty 
natives  assembled  there." 

"  We  must  put  them  to  flight,  that  will  not  be  a  difficult 
matter,"  said  Ferguson. 

"All  right!"  said  Dick. 


it 
t( 


A  NIGHT  ON  AN  ISLAND  275 

The  sun  was  in  the  zenith.  The  "  Victoria  "  approached 
the  island. 

The  negroes,  who  appeared  to  be  of  the  Makado  tribe, 
uttered  discordant  cries.  One  of  them  waved  his  bark  head- 
covering  in  the  air.  Kennedy  took  aim,  fired,  and  the  hat 
was  knocked  to  pieces.  There  was  a  general  stampede.  The 
natives  precipitated  themselves  into  the  river,  and  swam 
across.  From  both  banks  there  came  a  hail  of  bullets  and 
a  shower  of  arrows,  but  without  any  hurt  to  the  balloon, 
whose  grapnel  had  become  fastened  in  a  fissure  of  a  rock. 
Joe  let  himself  slide  down  to  the  ground. 

"The  ladder,  the  ladder,"  cried  the  doctor.  "Follow 
me  Kennedy!  " 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  To  descend.     I  want  a  witness." 

"  Here  I  am,  then." 
Joe,  keep  guard,  mind." 

All  right,  sir;  I  am  responsible  for  everything." 
Come,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  putting  his  foot  on  the 
ground. 

He  led  his  companion  towards  a  mass  of  rock  that  rose 
up  at  the  extremity  of  the  island.  There,  after  searching 
for  some  time,  hunting  about  amongst  the  brushwood  till  his 
hands  were  cut  and  bleeding,  suddenly  he  grasped  the  Scot's 
arm. 

"Look  there!"  said  he. 

"  Letters !  "  cried  Kennedy. 

In  fact,  two  letters  engraven  In  the  rock  appeared  in  all 
their  pristine  sharpness  of  outline.     They  distinctly  read: 

A.   D. 
^  "A.  D.,"  said  the  doctor.     "  Andrea  Debono!     The  ini- 
tials of  that  very  traveler  who  mounted  to  the  highest  point 
of  the  course  of  the  Nile." 

"  That  is  unimpeachable  evidence,  friend  Samuel." 

"Are  you  now  convinced?  " 

"  It  is  the  Nile;  we  can  have  no  doubt  about  it." 

The  doctor  took  a  "  last  fond  look  "  at  tlie  precious  initials, 
of  which  he  made  a  tracing. 

**  Now,"  said  he.  "  for  the  balloon !  " 

"  Quick,  then,  for  there  are  some  natives  preparing  to 
cross  the  river." 

"That  does  not  matter  much  to  us  now.     If  the  breeze 


276  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

will  only  hold  to  us  a  few  hours  we  shall  reach  Gondokoro 
and  shake  hands  with  our  own  countrymen." 

Ten  minutes  afterwards  the  "  Victoria  "  rose  majestically, 
and  Dr.  Ferguson,  as  a  signal  of  success,  unfurled  the  Royal 
Standard  of  England  as  they  sailed  along. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  NILE 


<( 


In  what  direction  are  we  going?  "  asked  Kennedy,  see- 
ing his  companion  looking  at  the  compass. 

"  Nor-nor-west,"  was  the  reply. 

"  The  devil!     That  is  not  north,  is  it.^  " 

"  No,  Dick.  And  I  think  we  shall  have  some  difficulty 
to  reach  Gondokoro.  I  am  sorry  for  it,  but,  at  any  rate, 
we  have  united  the  exploration  of  the  east  to  those  of  the 
north,  so  we  must  not  complain." 

The  "  Victoria  "  now  edged  away  from  the  Nile. 

"  A  last  look,"  said  the  doctor,  "  at  this  insurmountable 
latitude,  which  the  most  intrepid  travelers  have  never  been 
able  to  pass.  There  are  surely  those  intractable  tribes  men- 
tioned by  Pethwick,  Arnaud,  Miani,  and  the  young  explorer 
Lejean,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  best  works  upon 
the  Upper  Nile." 

"  So,"  said  Kennedy,  "  our  discoveries  are  in  accord  with 
the  forecastings  of  science." 

"  Entirely.  The  sources  of  the  White  River  of  the 
Bahr-el-Abiad  are  immersed  in  a  great  lake  like  a  sea.  It 
takes  its  rise  there.  There  poetry  lost  it.  They  loved  to 
fancy  that  this  king  of  rivers  had  a  heavenly  origin;  the 
ancients  called  it  *  ocean  '  and  it  was  not  a  difficult  thing 
to  believe  that  it  descended  directly  from  the  sun.  But  it  is 
necessary  to  refute  or  to  accept,  from  time  to  time,  that 
which  science  has  laid  down.  There  will  not  be  learned 
men  for  ever,  perhaps ;  but  there  will  always  be  poets ! " 

"  There  are  more  cataracts,"  said  Joe. 

"  Those  are  the  cataracts  of  Makedo  in  the  3rd  degree  of 
latitude.  Nothing  is  more  certain.  Fancy  our  being  able 
thus  to  follow  the  course  of  the  Nile  for  hours!  " 

"  And  farther  down,"  said  the  Scot,  "  I  can  perceive  the 
summit  of  a  mountain." 


THE  NILE  277 

"  That  is  Mount  Logwek,  the  *  Shaking  Mountain  '  of 
the  Arabs.  All  this  part  has  been  visited  by  M.  Debono, 
who  explored  it  under  the  name  of  Latif  Effendi.  The 
neighboring  tribes  are  hostile  to  each  other  and  keep  up  a 
war  of  extermination.  You  can  thus  estimate  without  diffi- 
culty the  extent  of  the  perils  he  had  to  overcome." 

The  breeze  now  carried  the  "  Victoria  "  towards  the  north- 
east- In  order  to  clear  Mount  Logwek  it  was  necessary 
to  seek  a  more  inclined  current. 

"  My  friends,"  said  the  doctor  to  his  companions,  "  we 
are  now  about  to  commence  our  journey  across  Africa  in 
real  earnest.  So  far  we  have  only  been  following  the  foot- 
steps of  our  predecessors.  We  are  now  about  to  penetrate 
into  the  *  unknown.'     Your  courage  will  not  fail?  " 

"  Never!  "  cried  Dick  and  Joe  in  one  breath. 

"  Let  us  go  on  then,  and  may  Heaven  guide  us  on  our 
way ! " 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night,  passing  over  ravines,  forests,  and 
villages,  the  travelers  reached  the  side  of  the  "  Shaking 
Mountain,"  beside  whose  slopes  they  ascended. 

In  this  memorable  journey  of  the  23rd  April,  during  a 
sail  of  fifteen  hours,  they  had,  under  the  influence  of  a  strong 
wind,  accomplished  a  distance  of  315  miles. 

But  this  latter  part  of  the  journey  had  left  a  trace  of 
sadness  behind  it.  Complete  silence  reigned  in  the  car.  Was 
Doctor  Ferguson  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  his  dis- 
coveries? Were  his  companions  thinking  of  this  expedition 
into  the  unknown  regions?  There  was  all  that,  without 
doubt,  mingled  with  very  vivid  recollections  of  England  and 
absent  friends.  Joe  was  the  only  one  to  assume  a  carelessly 
philosophic  manner,  feeling  it  only  natural  that  his  native 
land  was  no  longer  there  when  he  had  quitted  it;  but  he  re- 
spected the  silence  of  the  doctor  and  Kennedy. 

The  "  Victoria  "  now  anchored,  "  broadside  on,"  to  the 
"  Shaking  Mountain  " ;  they  were  enabled  to  make  a  sub- 
stantial meal,  and  all  slept  under  the  successive  guard  of  the 
other  alternately. 

Next  day,  more  cheerful  thoughts  arrived  with  the  work- 
ing hours.  They  had  a  lovely  day,  and  the  wind  blew  in 
the  proper  direction,  A  breakfast,  much  enlivened  by  Joe, 
sufficed  to  put  them  into  better  spirits. 

The  country  passed  over  just  then  was  very  extensive. 


(( 


2y^  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

It  stretched  from  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  to  those  of 
Darfour,  a  space  as  broad  as  the  width  of  Europe. 

*'  We  shall  undoubtedly  cross  what  is  supposed  to  be  the 
kingdom  of  Usoga,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Some  geographers 
have  pretended  that,  in  the  center  of  Africa  exists  a  vast  de- 
pression, an  immense  central  lake.  We  shall  see  if  this 
hypothesis  has  any  foundation  in  fact." 

But  how  have  they  arrived  at  such  a  conclusion  ?  '* 
From  the  reports  of  the  Arabs,  these  people  are  great 
story-tellers;  too  much  so,  perhaps.  Some  travelers,  arriv- 
ing from  Kazeh,  or  the  Great  Lakes,  have  seen  slaves 
brought  from  the  central  districts.  They  have  questioned 
these  people  respecting  their  country,  they  have  put  together 
a  heap  of  these  various  statements,  and  have  thence  made 
their  deduction.  At  the  bottom  of  all  this  there  is  a  sub- 
stratum of  truth,  and  you  have  seen  that  they  did  not  mis- 
take in  the  origin  of  the  Nile  so  much  after  all." 

"  Nothing  could  be  more  correct,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  It  is  from  these  documents  that  trial-maps  have  been  at- 
tempted. So  I  am  about  to  follow  up  my  route  upon  one  of 
these,  and  to  rectify  it  when  necessary." 

"  Is  all  this  region  inhabited?  "  asked  Joe. 
Certainly,  but  thinly." 
I  suspect  so." 

"  These  scattered  tribes  are  comprised  under  the  general 
denomination  of  Nyam-Nyam,  and  this  name  is  only  an- 
other name  for  '  onomatopy ' ;  it  reproduces  the  sound  of 
mastication." 

"  Perfectly,"  replied  Joe.     "  Nyam-Nyam." 

"  My  good  Joe,  if  you  were  the  original  cause  of  this 
*  onomatopy,'  you  would  not  be  so  perfect?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Merely  that  these  people  are  cannibals !  " 

"Is  that  certain?" 

"  Quite  certain  People  also  pretended  that  these  tribes 
had  tails,  but  it  was  soon  discovered  that  the  tails  were  those 
of  the  animals  in  whose  skins  they  were  clothed." 

"  So  much  the  worse.  A  tail  is  a  very  useful  appendage 
to  keep  off  the  mosquitoes,"  said  Joe. 

"  Possibly,  but  we  must  relegate  that  tale  to  the  ranks  of 
fable,  just  like  the  story  told  by  Brun-Rollet  of  certain  tribes 
having  dogs'  heads." 


THE  NILE  '279 

"  Dogs*  Hea3s !  Most  convenient  for  Barking,  and  for 
cannibals." 

"  What  has  been  proved  is  unfortunately  this,  that  the 
people  are  most  savage,  and  they  are  very  desirous  of  human 
flesh,  which  they  seek  for  with  avidity.'" 

"  All  I  ask  is,"  said  Joe,  "  that  they  won't  seek  me  indi- 
vidually so  anxiously." 

"I  say!  "cried  Dick. 

"  I  mean  it  this  way,  Mr.  Dick.  If  ever  I  am  to  be  eaten 
in  a  moment  of  scarcity,  I  hope  that  it  will  be  for  your  ad- 
vantage, and  for  my  master's.  But  to  sustain  those  black- 
amoors, never!     I  should  die  of  shame!  " 

"  Well,  then  my  brave  Joe,  now  that  is  understood,  we 
may  count  upon  you  at  a  pinch,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  At  your  service,  gentlemen,"  said  Joe. 

"  Joe  talks  like  that,"  said  the  doctor,  "  so  that  we  may 
take  great  care  of  him,  and  feed  him  up." 

"  Very  likely,"  replied  Joe.  "  Man  is  a  terribly  selfish 
animal." 

During  the  afternoon  the  sky  was  hidden  by  a  thick  mist, 
which  made  the  earth  damp.  The  fog  scarcely  allowed  ob- 
jects to  be  distinguished  on  the  ground,  and,  fearful  of  strik- 
ing against  some  invisible  peak,  the  doctor  ascended  for 
about  five  hours.  The  night  passed  without  accident,  but  it 
was  necessary  to  be  doubly  vigilant  in  the  profound  darkness. 

The  trade-wind  blew  with  extreme  violence  during  the 
early  part  of  the  following  day.  The  wind  roared  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  balloon,  and  shook  the  appendages  by 
which  the  tubes  of  dilatation  penetrated  with  great  force. 
They  were  compelled  to  fasten  them  with  ropes,  in  which 
work  Joe  acquitted  himself  very  skillfully. 

They  ascertained,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  opening  at 
the  top  of  the  balloon  remained  hermetically  sealed.  "  This 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  us,"  said  Doctor  Ferguson. 
"We  obviate  the  escape  of  the  precious  gas;  besides,  we 
leave  nothing  round  us  of  an  inflammable  nature  by  which, 
if  a  light  were  applied,  we  should  be  stopped  altogether." 

"  That  would  be  a  very  unpleasant  incident  of  our  jour- 
ney," said  Joe. 

"  Should  we  be  precipitated  to  the  ground  ?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  No,  not  precipitated.  The  gas  would  burn  quietly,  and 
we  should  descend  by  degrees.     A  similar  accident  happened 


28o  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

to  the  French  aeronaut,  Madame  Blanchard.  She  set  fire 
to  the  balloon  while  setting  off  fireworks,  but  she  did  not 
fall;  and  she  would  not  have  lost  her  life  had  her  car  not 
been  hurled  against  a  chimney,  and  she  herself  thrown  to 
the  ground." 

"  Let  us  trust  that  no  such  accident  will  happen  to  us," 
said  Dick.  **  So  far  our  journey  has  not  appeared  to  me 
dangerous,  and  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  not  reach  our 
destination" 

"  Nor  do  I,  my  dear  Dick.  Accidents,  moreover,  have 
always  been  caused  either  by  imprudence  on  the  part  of  the 
aeronauts,  or  by  the  badly-constructed  apparatus  they  make 
use  of.  So,  out  of  many  thousands  of  aerial  ascents,  we 
can  reckon  only  about  twenty  fatal  accidents.  Generally  it 
is  the  landings  or  the  departures  which  offer  most  danger. 
So,  in  like  case,  we  ought  not  to  neglect  any  precautions." 

"  It  is  breakfast  time,"  said  Joe;  "  we  must  content  our- 
selves with  preserved  meat  and  coffee  until  Mr.  Kennedy 
has  the  opportunity  to  treat  us  to  a  haunch  of  venison." 


CHAPTER  XX 

FIGHT  OF  THE  TRIBES 

The  wind  was  becoming  violent  and  squally.  The  "  Vic- 
toria "  made  "  tacks  "  in  the  air.  Sometimes  tossed  to  the 
north,  sometimes  to  the  south,  it  could  not  meet  with  any 
steady  slant  of  wind. 

"  We  are  going  very  fast  without  advancing  much,"  said 
Kennedy,  as  he  remarked  the  frequent  oscillations  of  the 
magnetic  needle. 

"  The  *  Victoria '  is  flying  at  a  speed  of  nearly  thirty 
leagues  an  hour,"  said  Ferguson.  "  Lean  over  and  see  how 
quickly  the  country  disappears  from  beneath  us.  Mind, 
this  forest  appears  as  if  it  were  about  to  precipitate  itself 
against  us !  " 

"  The  forest  is  already  an  open  space,"  said  Kennedy. 

"And  the  open  space  is  now  a  village,"  added  Joe,  a 
few  seconds  later.  "  Look  at  the  astonished  faces  of  the 
niggers !  " 

"  No  wonder,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  The  French 
peasants,  when  they  first  saw  balloons,  ran  away,  taking 


FIGHT  OF  THE  TRIBES  281 

them  for  monstrous  air-sprites;  so  we  must  not  be  sur- 
prised at  the  natives  of  the  Soudan  looking  astonished." 

"  I  declare,"  said  Joe,  as  the  "  Victoria  "  just  skimmed 
over  a  village  about  100  feet  above  it.  "I  have  a  great 
mind  to  shy  an  empty  bottle  at  them  if  you  have  no  ob- 
jection, sir.  If  it  arrive  unbroken  they  will  worship  it,  if 
it  smash  they  will  make  *  charms '  of  the  pieces." 

And  as  he  spoke  he  threw  a  bottle  over;  it  of  course 
was  broken  to  fragments,  while  the  natives  ran  into  their 
huts  uttering  loud  cries. 

A  little  farther  on  Kennedy  cried: 

"  Look  at  that  extraordinary  tree — it  appears  to  be  of 
one  species  at  the  top  and  another  lower  down ! " 

"  Yes,"  said  Joe ;  "  this  is  apparently  a  country  where 
trees  grow  one  on  top  of  the  other!  " 

"  It  is  only  the  trunk  of  a  fig-tree,"  replied  the  doctor, 
**  upon  which  a  little  mold  has  fallen.  One  fine  day  the 
wind  happened  to  bring  a  seed  of  the  palm  here,  and  the 
palm  tree  has  grown  up  accordingly." 

"  A  capital  plan,"  said  Joe,  "  and  one  I  shall  introduce 
into  England.  It  would  answer  capitally  in  the  London 
parks,  not  to  mention  that  it  would  be  a  way  of  multiplying 
fruit  trees ;  one  might  have  gardens  in  the  air,  which  would 
be  quite  to  the  taste  of  small  proprietors." 

At  this  moment  they  were  obliged  to  elevate  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  to  about  300  feet,  so  as  to  avoid  a  forest  of  high 
trees — very  ancient  banyans. 

"What  magnificent  trees!"  cried  Kennedy;  "I  know; 
nothing  finer  than  these  old  forests.     Look,  Samuel !  " 

"  The  height  of  these  banyans  is  truly  marvelous,  my 
dear  Dick ;  yet  they  are  not  to  be  compared  with  the  Ameri- 
can forests." 

"  What !  are  there  bigger  trees  in  America  ?  " 

"  Certainly !  amongst  those  called  *  mammoth  trees.* 
Thus  in  California  there  is  a  cedar  450  feet  high,  which 
is  higher  than  the  tower  of  the  Houses  of  Parliament  or 
even  than  the  great  Pyramid  of  Egypt.  The  trunk  is  120 
feet  round  at  the  base,  and  the  concentric  rings  of  the  tree 
declare  it  to  be  more  than  4,000  years  old !  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  that  is  not  very  wonderful. 
When  you  have  lived  4,000  years  it  is  only  natural  that  you 
should  be  very  big." 


282  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

During  the  above  conversation  the  forest  had  given  place 
to  a  large  collection  of  huts,  disposed  in  a  circle  round  a 
clear  space.  In  the  center  rose  an  extraordinary  tree. 
Joe  cried  out  when  he  saw  it:  "Well,  if  that  tree  has 
produced  such  flowers  as  those  for  4,000  years,  I  shall  not 
pay  it  any  compliment." 

It  was  a  gigantic  sycamore,  whose  trunk  was  completely 
concealed  by  a  heap  of  human  bones.  The  "  flowers " 
of  which  Joe  spoke  were  human  heads  lately  cut  off,  and 
suspended  by  daggers  fixed  in  the  bark. 

"  The  '  war-tree '  of  the  cannibals,"  said  the  doctor. 
**  The  Indians  take  the  scalp,  the  Africans  the  entire  head." 

"  A  matter  of  taste,"  said  Joe. 

But  the  village  of  the  bleeding  heads  was  fast  disap- 
pearing on  the  horizon ;  yet  another  farther  on  offered  a  not 
less  horrible  spectacle.  Half-eaten  human  bodies,  crum- 
bling skeletons,  human  remains,  were  scattered  about,  and 
were  left  to  be  devoured  by  the  hyenas  and  jackals. 

"Those  are  doubtless  the  bodies  of  criminals,  and,  as  is 
the  practice  in  Abyssinia,  they  are  exposed  to  the  attacks 
of  wild  beasts,  who  devour  them  at  their  leisure,  having 
first  killed  them  with  teeth  and  claws." 

"  It  is  not  much  more  cruel  than  hanging,"  said  the  Scot, 
"  it  is  more  horrible,  that's  all." 

"In  the  south  of  Africa,"  replied  the  doctor,  "they 
merely  shut  the  offender  up  in  his  own  hut  with  the  wild 
beasts;  perhaps  his  family  is  also  included.  The  hut  is 
then  set  on  fire  and  the  occupants  are  all  roasted  together. 
I  do  call  that  cruelty,  but  I  agree  with  Kennedy  that  if 
hanging  be  less  cruel  it  is  equally  barbarous." 

Joe,  with  the  excellent  sight  which  served  him  so  well 
now,  cried  that  he  could  perceive  some  birds  of  prey  ap- 
pearing above  the  horizon. 

"  They  are  eagles,"  replied  Kennedy,  after  having  exam- 
ined them  with  his  telescope;  "  splendid  birds! — their  flight 
is  as  rapid  as  our  own." 

"  Heaven  preserve  us  from  their  attacks !  "  said  the  doc- 
tor ;  "  they  are  more  to  be  dreaded  than  the  most  ferocious 
beasts  or  the  most  savage  tribes." 

"  Bah !  "  replied  Dick,  "  we  shall  drive  them  off  with 
our  rifles." 

"  I  should  very  much  prefer  not  to  be  obliged  to  resort 


FIGHT  OF  THE  TRIBES  283 

to  your  skill,  my  dear  Dick.  The  taffeta  could  not  resist 
their  beaks.  Fortunately  they  appear  to  be  more  fright- 
ened than  attracted  by  our  balloon." 

"  Yes,  but  I  have  got  an  idea,"  said  Joe,  "  for  ideas  are 
tumbling  in  by  dozens  to-day.  If  we  were  to  procure  a 
team  of  eagles,  we  might  harness  them  to  the  car,  and  they 
would  draw  us  through  the  air." 

"The  proposal  is  seriously  made,"  said  the  doctor; 
"  but  I  very  much  question  its  practicability  with  such  very 
restive  animals." 

"We  might  train  them,"  replied  Joe;  "instead  of  bits 
we  could  guide  them  with  blinkers,  which  would  cover  their 
eyes  completely.  Unloose  one  eye,  they  would  go  to  the 
right  or  left  as  the  case  might  be;  blind  them  again,  and 
they  would  stop." 

"  You  must  allow  me,  my  good  Joe,  to  prefer  a  favor- 
able wind  to  your  harnessed  eagles.  It  costs  less  to  keep — 
that  is  certain,  at  any  rate." 

"  Oh,  by  all  means,  sir;  but  I  will  keep  my  idea  all  the 
same." 

It  was  mid-day.  For  some  time  the  "  Victoria "  had 
been  going  along  steadily,  not  flying  as  it  lately  had  been. 
Suddenly  cries  and  whistling  sounds  reached  the  ears  of 
the  travelers;  they  leaned  over  and  perceived  in  the  open 
plain  a  sight  not  easily  to  be  forgotten.  Two  tribes  were 
engaged  in  deadly  combat  and  exchanging  clouds  of 
arrows.  The  combatants  were  so  deeply  engaged  that  they 
did  not  perceive  the  "  Victoria."  They  numbered  about 
300,  and  were  mingled  in  an  inextricable  melee;  the  greater 
part  of  them  were  reddened  with  the  blood  in  which  they 
appeared  literally  steeped.  It  was  a  horrible  sight.  At 
the  appearance  of  the  balloon  there  was  a  pause,  the  shouts 
were  redoubled,  some  arrows  were  launched  at  the  car,  and 
one  of  them  came  near  enough  for  Joe  to  catch  it. 

"  We  must  get  out  of  reach,"  said  the  doctor.  "  No 
imprudence,  we  cannot  allow  that." 

The  battle  continued.  So  soon  as  an  enemy  "bit  the 
dust,"  his  opponent  hastened  to  decapitate  him.  The 
women  mixed  in  this  rout,  collected  the  bleeding  heads,  and 
piled  them  up  at  either  extremity  of  the  battle-field,  and 
often  fought  among  themselves  for  possession  of  these 
hideous  trophies. 


284  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Horrible  scene,"  said  Kennedy,  with  profound  disgust. 

"  Wretched  creatures,"  cried  Joe.  "  They  only  want  a 
uniform  now  to  be  like  all  other  soldiers." 

"  I  have  a  great  mind  to  interfere  in  the  battle,"  cried 
Kennedy,  brandishing  a  carbine. 

"  Not  so,"  replied  the  doctor ;  "  nothing  of  the  sort.  Let 
us  mind  our  own  business.  How  do  you  know  who  is  right 
or  wrong,  that  you  should  play  the  part  of  Providence? 
Let  us  get  farther  away  from  this  repulsive  scene.  If 
great  generals  could  only  look  down  as  we  do  upon  their 
fields  of  battle,  they  would  end,  perhaps,  in  losing  their 
taste  for  blood  and  conquest." 

The  chief  of  one  of  the  bands  of  savages  was  remarkable 
for  his  tall  form  and  Herculean  strength.  With  one  hand  he 
plunged  his  lance  into  the  thick  masses  of  his  enemies,  and 
with  the  other  he  cleared  the  way  with  tremendous  blows  of 
his  hatchet.  Presently  he  cast  his  gory  lance  from  him,  and 
cast  himself  upon  a  wounded  man,  whose  arm  he  swept  off 
with  a  blow  of  his  hatchet.  He  then  seized  the  arm  and 
began  to  devour  it  on  the  spot. 

"  Ugh!  "  cried  Kennedy,  "  the  brute!  I  can't  stand  any 
more."  And  the  warrior,  hit  by  a  bullet  in  the  forehead,  fell 
dead  on  his  back. 

At  his  fall,  a  profound  terror  seized  his  band.  This 
supernatural  death  served  to  reanimate  the  ardor  of  their 
adversaries,  and  in  a  moment  the  battle-field  was  abandoned 
by  half  the  combatants. 

"  Let  us  seek  a  higher  current  to  take  us  along,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  I  am  sick  of  this." 

But  they  could  not  get  away  so  quickly,  but  that  they 
could  perceive  the  victorious  tribe  seize  upon  the  dead  and 
wounded,  and  fight  over  the  still  warm  flesh,  and  devour  it 
eagerly.    "  Pugh,"  said  Joe,  "  that  is  sickening." 

The  "Victoria  "  rose.  The  shouts  of  the  frenzied  crowd, 
followed  them  for  some  moments,  but  at  length,  impelled 
towards  the  south,  they  escaped  from  this  scene  of  carnage 
and  cannibalism. 

The  country  appeared  undulating  with  several  water- 
courses, which  ran  towards  the  east,  and  fell  doubtless  into 
the  affluents  of  the  lake  Nu,  or  of  the  River  of  Gazelles, 
respecting  which  M.  Lejean  has  given  some  curious  de- 
tails.   When  night  fell  the  **  Victoria  "  dropped  anchor  in 


it 


FIGHT  OF  THE  TRIBES  285 

27°  E.  longitude,  and  4°  20'  N.  latitude,  after  a  journey 
of  150  miles. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

A  NIGHT  ATTACK 

The  night  was  very  dark.  The  doctor  had  not  been  able 
to  recognize  the  country.  He  made  fast  to  a  tall  tree,  of 
which  he  could  scarcely  distinguish  the  confused  mass  in 
the  gloom.  According  to  arrangement,  he  took  the  nine 
o'clock  watch,  and  at  midnight  Dick  came  to  relieve  him. 
Watch  carefully,  Dick,  please;  very  carefully." 
Anything  new,  then?" 

"  No ;  I  believe  I  have  heard  some  strange  noises  below 
us,  and  I  do  not  know  quite  where  the  wind  has  carried 
us.    A  little  extra  prudence,  then,  cannot  do  any  harm." 

"  You  have  heard  cries  of  wild  beasts?  " 

"  No,  it  appeared  to  me  something  quite  different.  How- 
ever, at  the  least  alarm  do  not  fail  to  wake  us." 

"  All  right,"  replied  Dick. 

After  listening  attentively  once  more,  and  hearing  noth- 
ing, the  doctor  retired,  and  slept  soundly. 

The  sky  was  covered  with  thick  clouds,  but  not  a  breath 
of  wind  was  stirring.  The  "Victoria,"  held  by  a  single 
grapnel,  felt  no  movement. 

Kennedy  leaned  upon  the  car  so  as  to  watch  the  action 
of  the  blow-pipe,  and  began  to  think  of  this  Erebus-like 
gloom.  He  scanned  the  horizon,  and  as  it  happens  to 
restless  or  preoccupied  persons,  he  fancied  he  could  perceive 
at  times  a  faint  glimmering  of  light.  At  one  moment  he 
actually  believed  he  saw  it  200  paces  distant,  but  it  was 
only  a  flash,  after  which  he  could  perceive  nothing.  It  was 
doubtless  one  of  those  luminous  sensations  which  the  eye 
produces  in  the  midst  of  profound  darkness. 

Kennedy  was  satisfied,  and  resumed  his  contemplative 
mood,  when  a  sharp  whistle  broke  the  silence.  Was  it  the 
cry  of  an  animal  or  of  a  bird  of  night?  Or  did  it  emanate 
from  human  lips  ? 

Kennedy,  recognizing  all  the  gravity  of  the  situation, 
was  about  to  rouse  his  companions,  but  he  considered  that 
in  any  case,  whether  man  or  beast,  it  was  out  of  range. 


286  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

He  looked  to  his  arms,  however,  and,  with  the  night-glass, 
resumed  his  scrutiny  into  the  darkness. 

He  soon  fancied  that  he  could  distinguish  below  him 
shadowy  forms,  which  glided  towards  the  tree.  By  a  ray  of 
moonlight,  which  glinted  like  a  lightning  flash  between  two 
clouds,  he  perceived  distinctly  a  group  of  people  moving 
about  in  the  gloom. 

The  adventure  with  the  apes  came  to  his  mind;  he  laid 
his  hand  on  the  doctor's  shoulder.  Ferguson  woke  imme- 
diately. 

"  Silence !  "  whispered  Kennedy. 

"  Is  anything  the  matter?  " 

"  Yes,  wake  Joe." 

So  soon  as  Joe  was  awake,  the  Scot  related  what  he  had 
seen. 

"  Those  cursed  apes  again,"  said  Joe. 

"  Possibly !  but  we  must  take  our  precautions.  Joe  and 
I  will  descend  into  the  tree  by  the  ladder,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  And  in  the  meantime,"  said  the  doctor,  "  I  will  take 
steps  to  ensure  a  rapid  retreat  upwards." 

"Agreed!" 

"  Let  us  get  down,"  said  Joe. 

"  Do  not  resort  to  firearms  except  in  the  last  necessity," 
said  the  doctor.  "  It  is  no  use  to  reveal  our  whereabouts  in 
these  parts." 

Dick  and  Joe  signed  assent  and  glided  noiselessly  into 
the  tree.  They  took  their  position  upon  the  fork  of  two 
large  branches  which  the  grapnel  had  caught. 

For  some  minutes  they  listened  mute  and  motionless  in 
the  tree.  At  a  certain  crackling  of  the  bark  Joe  seized  the 
Scot's  hand. 

"  Don't  you  hear  something?  " 

"  Yes;  it  is  approaching." 

"  If  it  be  a  serpent?     The  hissing  you  heard " 

"  No,  it  is  something  human." 

"  I  prefer  savages  to  serpents,"  said  Joe.  "  Those  rep- 
tiles are  most  repugnant  to  me." 

"  The  noise  is  increasing,"  said  Kennedy  some  moments 
afterwards. 

"  Yes,  they  are  ascending — creeping  up." 

"  Do  you  watch  this  side;  I  will  look  out  on  the  other." 

"  All  right,  sir." 


A  NIGHT  ATTACK  287 

They  found  themselves  isolated  upon  the  main  branch, 
growing  right  in  the  middle  of  the  miniature  forest,  which 
a  "  baobab  "  tree  makes.  The  obscurity,  increased  by  the 
thickness  of  the  foliage,  was  profound;  nevertheless  Joe, 
stooping  to  Kennedy's  ear,  and  pointing  to  the  lower  por- 
tion of  the  tree,  said :  "  Niggers !  " 

Some  words  in  a  low  voice  then  reached  even  to  the 
ears  of  the  travelers.    Joe  shouldered  his  rifle. 

"  Wait  a  bit,"  said  Kennedy. 

The  savages  had  actually  scaled  the  "baobab."  They 
rushed  along  it  on  every  side,  creeping  along  the  branches 
like  snakes — approaching  slowly  but  surely;  but  they  be- 
trayed their  presence  by  the  smell  of  the  horrible  grease 
with  which  their  bodies  were  smeared. 

Soon  two  heads  presented  themselves  to  our  travelers' 
gaze  on  a  level  with  the  very  branch  which  they  occupied. 

"  Attention !  "  cried  Dick.    "  Fire ! " 

The  double  discharge  echoed  like  thunder,  and  arose 
amid  cries  of  distress.  In  a  moment  all  the  crowd  had 
disappeared. 

But  in  the  midst  of  the  shoutings  a  most  extraordinary 
cry  arose.  It  was  incredible — impossible !  A  human  voice, 
and  speaking  French! 

"  Help,  help !"  it  cried. 

Kennedy  and  Joe  were  stupefied.  They  regained  the 
car  with  all  speed. 

"  You  heard  it?  "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Most  decidedly  a  supernatural  cry — *  Help !  help ! '  " 

"  'Tis  a  Frenchman  in  the  hands  of  the  savages ! "  said 
the  doctor. 

"AtravelerV 

"  A  missionary,  very  likely !  " 

"  The  unhappy  man!  "  cried  Kennedy.  "  They  are  about 
to  kill  him — to  make  him  suffer  martyrdom !  "  The  doctor 
endeavored  in  vain  to  hide  his  emotion. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt,"  said  he,  "  some  unhappy 
Frenchman  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  savages.  But 
we  will  not  leave  this  spot  till  we  have  made  every  effort  to 
rescue  him.  The  sound  of  our  guns  he  looked  upon  as 
inspired  succor — a  providential  intervention.  We  will  not 
render  this  last  hope  false.    Is  this  your  opinion?  " 

"  It  is,  Samuel,  and  we  are  ready  to  obey  you." 


288  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Let  us  then  arrange  our  plans,  and  so  soon  as  daylight 
comes  we  will  endeavor  to  release  him." 

"  But  how  shall  we  drive  away  those  horrible  negroes  ?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  after  the  way 
in  which  they  dispersed,  they  were  not  acquainted  with 
firearms.  We  must  then  profit  by  their  fright;  but  it  will 
be  necessary  to  wait  for  daylight,  and  we  will  form  our  plan 
of  rescue  according  to  the  circumstances." 

"  This  unhappy  man  cannot  be  very  far  distant,"  said 
Joe.    "For r 

"  Help,  help ! "  cried  the  voice,  but  this  time  in  weaker 
accents. 

"  The  barbarians !  "  cried  Joe  angrily.  "  Suppose  they 
kill  him  to-night?" 

"Yes,  Samuel!"  said  Kennedy.  "If  they  murder  him 
to-night?" 

"  That  is  not  likely,  my  friends.  These  savage  tribes  kill 
their  prisoners  in  open  day :  the  sun  is  necessary  for  them." 

"  Suppose  I  were  to  take  advantage  of  the  darkness," 
said  the  Scot,  "  to  approach  this  poor  victim  ?  " 

"  I  will  go  with  you,  Mr.  Dick." 

"  Stop,  stop,  my  friends.  This  suggestion  does  equal 
honor  to  your  courage  and  your  feelings;  but  you  will 
put  everything  in  jeopardy,  and  will  only  endanger  the  man 
we  want  to  save." 

"How  so?"  asked  Kennedy.  "The  savages  are 
frightened  and  dispersed.    They  will  not  return." 

"  Dick,  obey  me,  I  beg  of  you.  I  ask  it  for  the  com- 
mon safety.  If  by  any  chance  you  were  discovered,  every- 
thing would  be  lost." 

"  But  this  poor  wretch  who  is  waiting  and  hoping  all 
this  time.  No  one  answers  him,  no  one  comes  to  his  assist- 
ance. He  will  think  his  senses  have  deceived  him;  that 
he  has  heard  nothing." 

"  He  can  be  reassured,"  said  the  doctor. 

And  standing  up  in  the  darkness  and  putting  his  hands 
to  his  mouth,  the  doctor  called  out  to  the  stranger,  in 
French : 

"  Whoever  you  are,  be  confident.  Three  friends  watch 
over  you." 

A  terrible  uproar  was  the  reply,  which  doubtless  drowned 
the  prisoner's  answer. 

V.  I  Verne 


A  NIGHT  ATTACK  2S9 

"  They  are  about  to  murder  him,"  cried  Kennedy.  "  Our 
interference  has  only  served  to  hasten  the  hour  of  his  death. 
We  must  act." 

"  But  how,  Dick  ?    What  can  you  do  in  this  darkness  ?  " 

"  Oh !  if  it  were  only  day !  "  cried  Joe. 

"Well,  if  it  were  day?"  said  the  doctor,  in  a  peculiar 
tone. 

"  Nothing  easier  then,"  said  Kennedy.  "  I  would  de- 
scend and  disperse  this  rabble  with  a  few  shots." 

"And  you,  Joe?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"  I,  sir,  would  act  more  prudently,  In  making  known  to 
the  prisoner  that  he  should  escape  in  the  proper  direction." 

"And  how  would  you  convey  this  advice?  " 

"  By  means  of  this  arrow,  which  I  caught  flying,  and  to 
which  I  would  fasten  a  note;  or  by  simply  calling  to  him 
in  a  loud  voice.  The  negroes  would  not  understand  his 
language." 

Your  plans  are  impracticable,  my  friends ;  the  greatest 
difficulty  would  be  for  this  unfortunate  man  to  save  himself, 
even  admitting  that  he  could  escape  the  vigilance  of  his 
executioners.  As  for  you,  my  dear  Dick,  with  much  cour- 
age and  by  profiting  by  the  fright  excited  by  our  firearms, 
your  plan  might  perhaps  succeed;  but  if  it  failed  you  would 
be  lost,  and  we  should  have  two  persons  to  save  instead  of 
one.  No,  we  must  have  all  the  chances  on  our  side,  and  act 
otherwise." 

"Very  well,  but  act  at  once,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"  Perhaps,"  replied  Samuel,  dwelling  on  the  word. 

"Are  you  not  capable  of  dispelling  this  darkness,  sir?  " 

"Who  knows,  Joe?" 

"  Ah,  if  you  could  do  a  thing  like  that,  I  should  say  you 
are  the  cleverest  man  in  the  world." 

The  doctor  remained  silent  for  some  minutes  In  deep 
thought.  His  companions  contemplated  him  with  some 
emotion.  They  were  over-excited  by  this  extraordinary 
Incident.    Ferguson  soon  spoke. 

"This  is  my  plan,"  he  said.  "We  have  still  200  lbs. 
of  ballast,  as  the  bags  in  which  we  brought  it  have  remained 
untouched.  I  take  for  granted  that  this  prisoner,  a  man 
evidently  worn-out  by  hardships,  weighs  as  much  as  one  of 
us.  There  will  remain,  therefore,  60  Ids.  to  throw  away  in 
order  that  we  may  rise  rapidly." 


290  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  How  do  you  intend  to  act,  then?"  asked  Kennedy. 

"  This  way,  Dick.  You  admit,  no  doubt,  that  if  I  suc- 
ceed with  the  prisoner  and  throw  away  a  quantity  of  bal- 
last equal  to  his  weight,  nothing  will  be  changed  so  far  as 
the  equilibrium  of  the  balloon  is  concerned;  but  then  if  I 
want  to  secure  a  rapid  ascent  to  escape  this  tribe  of  negroes, 
I  must  use  stronger  measures  than  the  blow-pipe;  now  in 
throwing  over  this  weight  of  ballast  at  the  right  moment  i 
am  sure  to  rise  with  great  rapidity." 

"  That  is  evident." 

"  Yes ;  but  there  is  great  Inconvenience  in  it.  For  in- 
stance, to  descend  slowly,  I  must  lose  a  quantity  of  gas 
proportionate  to  the  excess  of  ballast  I  shall  have  thrown 
away.  Now  this  gas  is  a  very  precious  commodity,  but 
we  must  not  regret  the  loss  where  the  safety  of  a  fellow- 
creature  is  concerned." 

"  You  are  right,  Samuel,  we  must  sacrifice  everything  to 
save  him." 

"  Well,  let  us  be  up  and  doing.  Dispose  these  bags  so 
that  they  may  be  thrown  down  at  once. 

"  But  the  darkness ■" 

"  Will  hide  our  preparations,  and  will  not  be  gone  until 
they  are  completed.  Take  care  to  have  all  the  arms  within 
reach.  It  may  be  necessary  to  give  them  a  volley ;  we  have 
one  shot  in  the  carbine,  four  in  the  two  guns,  twelve  in  the 
two  revolvers — seventeen  in  all — which  can  be  fired  in  a 
quarter  of  a  minute.  But  we  may  not  be  obliged  to  resort 
to  this.    Are  you  ready?  " 

"  We  are,"  replied  Joe. 

The  bags  were  arranged,  and  the  arms  laid  ready  for 
action. 

"  Good,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Keep  a  good  look-out.  Joe 
shall  have  the  duty  of  throwing  the  ballast  over,  and  Dick 
shall  take  up  the  prisoner,  but  nothing  may  be  done  without 
my  orders.  Joe,  go  and  loose  the  grapnel  and  come  back 
3,s  quickly  as  possible." 

Joe  let  himself  slide  down  by  the  rope,  and  reappeared 
in  a  few  minutes.  The  "  Victoria  "  thus  freed,  floated  in 
air,  scarcely  moving  at  all." 

Meantime  the  doctor  assured  himself  that  there  was  si 
sufficient  quantity  of  gas  in  the  "  mixing-chest "  to  support 
|;he  blow-pipe,  if  necessary,  .without  making  it  obligatory,  to 


A  NIGHT  ATTACK  ■      ■      291: 

resort  to  the  Buntzen  "  pile."  He  raised  the  two  perfectly 
isolating  conducting  rods  which  were  used  to  decompose 
the  water,  then  searching  in  his  traveling-bag  he  drew  out 
two  pieces  of  charcoal  cut  to  a  point,  which  he  fastened  to 
the  end  of  each  wire. 

His  two  friends  watched  him  without  understanding  his 
object,  but  they  said  nothing  until  the  doctor  had  finished. 
He  then  stood  upright  in  the  center  of  the  car  and  took  one 
of  the  pieces  of  charcoal  in  each  hand  and  touched  one 
against  the  other.  Suddenly  an  intense  and  dazzling  light 
was  produced  of  an  insupportable  brightness  between  the 
two  parts  of  the  charcoal.  An  immense  band  of  electric 
light  literally  burnt  through  the  obscurity  of  the  night. 

"Oh!"  said  Joe.    "Sir " 

"  Hold  your  tongue,"  said  the  doctor. 

CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  RESCUE 

Ferguson  directed  his  electric  light  towards  various 
points,  and  stopped  at  the  spot  whence  the  cries  of  terror 
were  heard.    His  two  companions  regarded  it  fixedly. 

The  *'  baobab,"  above  which  the  "  Victoria  "  was  hover- 
ing, was  growing  in  the  center  of  an  open  space.  Between 
the  oil-plant  fields  and  the  sugar-canes  they  distinguished 
fifty  huts  of  low  and  conical  appearance,  around  which  a 
numerous  tribe  had  congregated. 

A  hundred  feet  below  the  balloon  a  stake  had  been  pre- 
pared. At  the  foot  of  this  stake  lay  a  human  being,  a 
young  man  about  thirty  years  old,  with  long  black  hair;  he 
was  half  naked,  emaciated,  stained  with  blood,  and  covered 
with  wounds.    His  head  was  bent  forward  on  his  chest. 

Some  hairs  more  closely  shaven  on  tlie  top  of  the  head 
indicated  the  place  where  the  tonsure  had  been  half  effaced. 

"A  missionary!  a  priest!  "  cried  Joe. 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  said  the  Scot. 

"  We  will  save  him,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor. 

The  crowd  of  negroes  perceiving  the  balloon,  which  ap- 
peared like  an  enormous  comet  with  a  dazzling  tail,  were 
seized  with  a  panic,  as  may  readily  be  imagined.  At  their 
cries,  the  prisoner  raised  his  head.    His  eyes  sparkled  with 


1292  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

a  rapid  feeling  of  hope,  and,  without  understanding  all  that 
was  going  on,  he  extended  his  hands  towards  his  would-be 
helpers. 

"  He  lives,  he  lives ! "  cried  Ferguson.  "  Heaven  be 
praised !  These  savages  are  in  a  most  excellent  fright.  .We 
shall  save  him.    Are  you  ready,  friends  ?  " 

"  We  are  quite  ready,  Samuel." 

"  Joe,  slacken  the  blow-pipe." 

The  doctor's  orders  were  obeyed.  A  scarcely  perceptible 
breeze  carried  the  "  Victoria  "  gently  over  the  prisoner,  at 
the  same  time  that  it  was  gradually  lowered  by  the  contrac- 
tion of  the  gas.  For  about  ten  minutes  it  remained  floating 
in  the  midst  of  the  waves  of  electric  light.  Ferguson  darted 
amongst  the  crowd  his  sparkling  clusters  of  light,  which 
shot  here  and  there  in  rapid  and  brilliant  gleams.  The 
tribe,  under  the  influence  of  indescribable  terror,  disap- 
peared gradually  into  their  huts,  and  the  neighborhood  of 
the  stake  was  deserted.  The  doctor  had  been  right  to  count 
upon  the  fantastic  appearance  of  the  "  Victoria,"  which 
darted  rays  as  from  the  sun  into  the  darkness. 

The  car  approached  the  ground.  But  some  negroes, 
bolder  than  the  rest,  began  to  comprehend  that  their  victim 
would  escape,  and  returned,  yelling  loudly.  Kennedy  seized 
his  rifle,  but  the  doctor  ordered  him  not  to  fire. 

The  priest  was  kneeling  down,  not  having  sufficient 
strength  to  stand  upright ;  he  was  not  even  tied  to  the  stake, 
as  his  weakness  rendered  bonds  useless.  At  the  moment 
that  the  car  touched  the  ground,  the  Scot  leaned  over,  and, 
seizing  the  priest  round  the  waist,  placed  him  in  the  car. 
At  the  same  moment,  Joe  threw  overboard  the  200  lbs.  of 
ballast.  The  doctor  expected  to  ascend  with  extreme  rapid- 
ity: but,  contrary  to  his  hopes,  the  balloon,  after  rising 
about  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground,  remained  sta- 
tionary. 

"  What  is  delaying  us  ?  "  he  exclaimed,  in  terrified  ac- 
cents. 

Some  savages  now  came  running  up  and  uttering  fierce 
cries. 

"Oh!"  cried  Joe,  leaning  over,  "one  of  those  cursed 
niggers  is  holding  on  to  the  balloon." 

"  Dick,  Dick !  "  cried  the  doctor,  "  the  water-tank !  " 

Dick  understood,  and  raising  one  of  the  chests  of  water. 


THE  RESCUE  293 

which  weighed  more  than  100  lbs.,  he  threw  it  overboard. 

The  "Victoria,"  suddenly  lightened,  made  a  bound  of 
300  feet  into  the  air,  amidst  the  yells  of  the  tribe,  from 
whom  the  prisoner  had  escaped  in  a  flash  of  dazzling  light. 

"  Hurrah !  "  cried  the  doctor's  companions. 

Suddenly  the  balloon  gave  another  bound,  which  carried 
it  up  to  an  elevation  of  1,000  feet. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  Kennedy,  who  had  nearly  lost  his 
equilibrium. 

"  Nothing !  It  is  only  that  blackguard  who  has  let  go," 
replied  the  doctor  calmly. 

And  Joe,  looking  quickly  over,  could  still  perceive  the 
savage  with  extended  hands  tumbling  over  and  over  in  the 
air,  and  he  soon  fell  crushed  upon  the  ground.  The  doctor 
then  separated  the  two  electric  wires,  and  the  obscurity 
became  profound.     It  was  one  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

The  Frenchman,  who  had  fainted,  at  length  opened  his 
eyes. 

"  You  are  saved !  "  said  the  doctor. 

"  Saved !  "  he  answered  in  English,  with  a  sad  smile, 
"  saved  from  a  cruel  death.  My  brothers,  I  thank  you ; 
but  my  days  are  numbered,  even  my  hours  are  fast  running 
out,  and  I  have  not  long  to  live " 

And  the  missionary,  utterly  exhausted,  relapsed  into  in- 
sensibility. 

"  He  is  dead !  "  exclaimed  Dick. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  Ferguson,  as  he  bent  over  him,  "  but 
he  is  very  weak;  let  us  lay  him  down  in  the  tent." 

They  laid  down  gently  upon  the  coverings  the  poor 
emaciated  body,  covered  with  scars  and  still  bleeding 
wounds,  and  on  which  the  iron  and  the  fire  had  left  a  hun- 
dred saddening  traces.  The  doctor  made  some  lint  from 
a  handkerchief,  which  he  placed  upon  the  wounds,  after 
having  washed  them  carefully.  He  did  all  this  with  the 
practiced  hand  of  a  doctor,  then  taking  a  cordial  from  the 
medicine-chest  he  poured  a  few  drops  down  his  patient's 
throat. 

The  priest  feebly  touched  his  quivering  lips,  and  had 
scarcely  strength  to  murmur  "  Thank  you !  " 

The  doctor  perceived  that  it  was  necessary  to  leave  him 
in  perfect  repose,  so  he  drew  the  curtains  of  the  tent  and 
resumed  his  guidance  of  the  balloon. 


^94  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

The  balloon,  taking  into  account  the  weight  of  its  new 
guest,  had  been  divested  of  nearly  i8o  lbs.  weight.  It 
therefore  kept  itself  up  without  the  assistance  of  the  blow- 
pipe. At  daybreak  a  current  drove  it  gently  towards  the 
west-nor'west.  Ferguson  had  been  contemplating  the  un- 
conscious priest  for  some  time,  when  Dick  inquired: 

"  Can  we  preserve  the  life  of  this  companion  whom 
Heaven  has  sent  ?    Have  you  any  hope  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Dick,  with  care  and  pure  air." 

"  How  the  man  has  suffered !  "  said  Joe,  with  feeling. 

"  He  has  done  a  much  bolder  thing  than  we  have,  in 
coming  alone  amongst  these  tribes." 

"  No  doubt  about  that,"  replied  the  doctor. 

During  all  that  day  the  doctor  would  not  permit  the 
sleep  of  his  patient  to  be  disturbed.  It  was  a  long  rest, 
interrupted  occasionally  by  painful  murmurings,  which  did 
not  reassure  Ferguson. 

Towards  evening  the  "  Victoria "  rested  motionless  in 
the  gloom,  and  during  that  night,  while  Joe  and  Kennedy 
laid  down  by  the  side  of  the  invalid,  Ferguson  kept  watch. 

The  following  morning  they  perceived  that  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  had  drifted  very  slightly  towards  the  west.  The  day 
promised  to  be  fair  and  beautiful.  The  invalid  was  able  to 
address  his  friends  in  a  stronger  voice,  they  pulled  back 
the  curtains  of  the  tent,  and  he  breathed  with  delight  the 
crisp  morning  air. 

"  How  do  you  feel  ?  "  asked  Ferguson. 

"  Rather  better,"  replied  he.  "  But,  my  friends,  I  have 
scarcely  seen  you  but  as  it  were  in  a  dream.  I  can  hardly 
understand  what  has  happened.  Tell  me  who  you  are,  so 
that  your  names  may  be  remembered  in  my  last  prayer." 

"  We  are  English  travelers,"  said  Samuel,  "  and  are  at- 
tempting to  cross  Africa  in  a  balloon,  and  during  our  pas- 
sage we  have  had  the  happiness  to  render  you  assistance." 

"  Science  has  its  heroes,"  said  the  missionary. 

"  And  religion  has  its  martyrs,"  replied  the  Scotchman. 

"  You  are  a  missionary,  then  ?  "  said  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  a  priest  of  the  Mission  of  the  Lazarists.  Heaven 
sent  you  to  me,  and  Heaven  be  praised  for  it.  The  sacri- 
fice of  my  life  was  offered.  But  you  come  from  Europe! 
Speak  to  me  of  Europe,  and  of  France!  I  have  had  no 
news  for  five  years ! " 


THE  RESCUE  295 

"  Five  years  alone,  amongst  those  savages ! "  exclaimed 
Kennedy. 

"  There  were  souls  to  be  saved,"  said  the  young  priest. 
"  Ignorant  brothers,  barbarians,  whom  religion  alone  is  able 
to  instruct  and  to  civilize." 

Samuel  Ferguson,  yielding  to  the  desire  of  the  mis- 
sionary, talked  to  him  for  a  long  time  of  France.  The 
priest  listened  eagerly,  and  tears  gathered  in  his  eyes.  The 
poor  young  man  took  by  turns  the  hands  of  Kennedy  and 
Joe  in  his  feverish  grasp,  th  1  doctor  prepared  some  cups  of 
tea,  of  which  he  gladly  partook.  He  had  then  sufficient 
strength  to  sit  up  a  :::tie,  and  smiled  at  seeing  himself 
carried  through  such  a  pure  atmosphere. 

"  You  are  certainly  wonderful  travelers,"  he  said,  "  and 
you  will  succeed  in  your  bold  enterprise.  You  will  see 
your  parents,  your  friends,  your  country  once  again, 
you " 

The  weakness  of  the  young  priest  here  becamic  so  great 
that  he  was  obliged  to  lie  down  again.  During  the  pros- 
tration of  some  hours  which  followed,  he  was  like  one  dead 
under  Ferguson's  hands.  He  could  not  contain  his  emotion, 
he  felt  his  patient's  life  was  speeding.  Were  they  then  to 
lose  so  quickly  he  whom  they  had  snatched  from  mar- 
tyrdom? He  dressed  the  patient's  wounds  once  more,  and 
sacrificed  the  greater  part  of  the  supply  of  water,  in  order 
to  refresh  the  sick  man's  burning  limbs.  He  bestowed  the 
most  tender  and  discriminating  care  upon  his  patient,  who 
recovered  little  by  little,  and  returned  to  consciousness,  if 
not  to  life. 

"  Speak  your  native  tongue,"  he  said.  "  I  understand  it. 

The  doctor  learnt  his  history  in  disconnected  sentences. 

The  missionary  was  a  poor  young  man  from  the  village 
of  Aradon,  in  Bretagne,  in  the  plain  of  Morbihan;  his  first 
instincts  led  him  towards  an  ecclesiastical  career.  To  that 
life  of  self-denial  he  wished  to  unite  a  Hfe  of  danger,  and 
entered  into  the  order  of  mission  priests,  of  which  St.  Vin- 
cent de  Paul  was  the  glorious  founder.  At  twenty  years  of 
age  he  quitted  his  native  land  for  the  inhospitable  plains  of 
Africa.  Then,  by  degrees,  overcoming  obstacles,  enduring 
privations,  praying  and  marching,  he  advanced  into  the 
midst  of  the  tribes  which  dwell  by  the  affluents  of  the  upper 
Nile.     During  two  years  his  religion  was  scoffed  at,  his 


296  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

zeal  despised,  his  kindness  of  heart  misunderstood;  he  re- 
mained the  prisoner  of  one  of  the  most  cruel  people  of  the 
Nyambarra,  the  object  of  a  thousand  ill-treatments.  But  he 
continued  to  pray,  and  to  instruct,  both  by  example  and 
precept.  The  tribe  was  dispersed,  and  left  him  for  dead, 
after  one  of  those  combats  which  so  frequently  take  place 
between  neighboring  tribes;  instead  of  retracing  his  steps, 
he  continued  his  evangelical  pilgrimage.  The  most  peaceful 
time  he  enjoyed  was  that  when  he  was  taken  for  an  idiot; 
and  having  become  famiharized  with  the  dialects  of  the 
country,  he  continued  his  good  work.  Finally,  after  two 
more  long  years,  he  penetrated  these  barbarous  regions, 
impelled  by  that  superhuman  force  which  comes  from  God 
alone.  For  one  year  he  had  dwelt  with  this  tribe  of  Nyam- 
Nyam,  called  Barafia,  and  one  of  the  most  savage.  The 
chief  having  died  some  days  before,  they  attributed  his 
sudden  death  to  the  missionary,  and  resolved  to  kill  him; 
his  punishment  had  already  lasted  forty  hours,  and,  as  the 
doctor  had  supposed,  he  was  to  have  died  at  noon. 

When  he  heard  the  report  of  firearms.  Nature  asserted 
herself,  and  he  cried  aloud  for  help;  he  almost  believed 
he  was  dreaming  when  a  voice  came  from  heaven  bearing 
him  words  of  consolation. 

"  I  do  not  regret  the  existence  which  I  am  about  to 
quit,"  added  he;  "my  life  is  with  God." 

"Do  not  abandon  all  hope,"  replied  the  doctor;  "we 
are  with  you — we  will  save  you  from  death  as  we  have 
saved  you  from  suffering." 

"  I  do  not  ask  so  much  from  Heaven,"  replied  the  re- 
signed priest;  "blessed  be  God  for  having  permitted  me 
the  happiness  of  clasping  friendly  hands  and  hearing  my 
native  tongue  once  more  before  I  die." 

The  missionary  sank  back  again.  The  day  passed  thus 
alternating  between  hope  and  fear.  Kennedy  was  visibly 
affected,  and  Joe  wiped  his  eyes  unobserved. 

The  "  Victoria "  made  but  little  way,  and  the  wind  ap- 
peared to  be  desirous  of  taking  care  of  its  precious  freight. 

Joe  gave  notice  in  the  evening  that  he  could  perceive 
a  strong  light  in  the  west.  In  higher  latitudes  it  might 
have  been  thought  to  be  an  immense  aurora  borealis — ■■ 
the  sky  seemed  on  fire.  The  doctor  examined  this  phe- 
nomenon attentively. 


THE  RESCUE  297 


(( 


It  is  nothing  but  an  active  volcano,  after  all,"  he  said. 

"But  the  wind  will  carry  us  right  over  it,"  said  Joe. 

**  Well,  we  will  clear  it  at  a  safe  distance." 

Three  hours  afterwards  the  "  Victoria "  was  amongst 
mountains;  the  exact  position  was  24°  15'  long.,  and  4°  42' 
lat.  In  front  a  fiery  crater  poured  molten  lava  and  belched 
forth  large  rocks  to  an  immense  height,  while  streams  of 
liquid  fire  ran  down  in  cascades  of  dazzling  beauty.  It  was 
a  grand  and  fearful  sight,  for  the  wind,  with  a  fixed 
direction,  carried  the  balloon  towards  the  burning  moun- 
tain. 

This  obstacle,  which  they  could  not  avoid,  they  must 
pass  over.  The  blow-pipe  was  warmed  to  full  pressure, 
and  the  "  Victoria  "  ascended  to  6,000  feet,  leaving  a  dis- 
tance of  300  fathoms  between  it  and  the  volcano. 

From  his  bed  of  pain  the  dying  priest  was  able  to  watch 
the  crater  from  which  a  thousand  sheaves  of  fire  were  scin- 
tillating with  a  roar. 

"  How  splendid  it  is ! "  he  said,  "  and  the  power  of 
God  is  infinite,  even  in  these  terrible  manifestations." 

This  outpouring  of  burning  lava  clothed  the  sides  of  the 
mountain  in  a  veritable  carpet  of  fire.  The  lower  part  of 
the  balloon  shone  brightly  in  the  darkness,  a  tremendous 
heat  reached  even  to  the  car,  and  Doctor  Ferguson  hastened 
to  escape  from  this  perilous  position. 

Towards  ten  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  mountain  was 
only  a  red  spot  on  the  horizon,  and  the  "  Victoria  "  peace- 
fully continued  her  journey  in  a  less  elevated  zone. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

A  GOOD  man's  death 

The  night  was  splendid.  The  priest  continued  to  sleep 
in  a  prostrate  condition. 

"  He  will  never  wake  again,"  said  Joe.  "  Poor  young 
man!  scarcely  thirty  years  old." 

"  He  will  die  in  your  arms,"  said  the  doctor,  in  despair. 
"  His  already  feeble  breathing  has  grown  weaker  still.  I 
can  do  nothing  to  save  him." 

"  Those  infamous  rascals,"  cried  Joe,  upon  whom  these 
sudden  fits  of  anger  occasionally  seized,  "  and  to  think  that 


298  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

this  worthy  priest  has  found  words  actually  to  plead  for, 
to  excuse,  and  pardon  them !  " 

"  Heaven  has  sent  us  a  lovely  night,  Joe ;  it  may  be  his 
last  night,  perhaps.  He  will  suffer  but  little  longer,  and  he 
will  pass  away  in  a  peaceful  sleep." 

The  dying  man  pronounced  some  disjointed  words;  the 
doctor  went  to  him.  The  invalid's  breathing  had  become 
labored;  he  asked  for  air.  The  curtains  were  drawn  aside 
and  he  respired  with  delight  the  pure  air  of  the  calm,  clear 
night.  The  stars  sent  down  to  him  their  trembling  light, 
while  the  moon  wrapped  him  in  the  pure  refulgence  of  her 
beams.  "  My  friends,"  said  he,  in  a  feeble  voice,  "  I  am 
going!  May  God  reward  you  and  bring  you  safely  home, 
and  pay  my  debt  of  gratitude." 

"Do  not  relinquish  hope,"  said  Kennedy;  "it  is  only  a 
temporary  weakness.  You  will  not  die.  How  could  anyone 
die  this  lovely  summer  night?" 

"  Death  is  here,  I  know  it! "  said  the  missionary.  "Let 
me  look  it  in  the  face.  Death,  the  commencement  of  joys 
eternal,  is  only  the  end  of  earthly  cares.  Place  me  upon 
my  knees,  my  friends,  I  beg  of  you." 

Kennedy  raised  him  up,  and  was  shocked  to  see  his 
helpless  limbs  give  way  beneath  him. 

"  My  God !  my  God ! "  exclaimed  the  dying  apostle. 
"  Have  mercy  upon  me  I "  His  face  lighted  up.  Far  away 
from  that  earth  v/here  he  had  never  known  happiness;  in 
the  midst  of  that  night  which  wrapped  him  in  its  sweetest 
rays  of  light;  on  the  road  to  that  heaven  towards  which 
he  raised  himself  in  a  miraculous  assumption,  he  appeared 
to  be  •entering  upon  another  life. 

His  last  gesture  was  to  bless  his  friends  of  a  day;  and 
he  fell  back  in  the  arms  of  Kennedy,  whose  face  was  bathed 
in  tears. 

"Dead!"  said  the  doctor,  bending  over  him.  "Alas! 
dead!"  And  with  one  accord  the  three  men  fell  upon 
their  knees. 

"  To-morrow,"  said  Ferguson,  at  length,  "  We  will  bury 
him  in  this  soil  of  Africa,  which  he  has  sprinkled  with  his 
blood. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  night  the  body  was  watched 
in  turn  by  the  doctor,  Kennedy,  and  Joe,  and  not  a  singk 
word  broke  the  holy  silence  of  the  time; 


A  GOOD  MAN'S  DEATH  299 

Next  day  the  wind  sprang  from  the  south,  and  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  passed  slowly  over  a  vast  range  of  mountains.  Here 
were  extinct  craters,  there  barren  ravines;  not  a  drop  of 
water  lay  in  these  arid  crests;  heaped-up  masses  of  rock, 
erratic  blocks  of  stone,  and  white  marl-pits,  all  denoted 
the  profound  sterility  of  the  district. 

Towards  mid-day  the  doctor,  in  order  to  bury  the  body, 
determined  to  descend  to  a  ravine  surrounded  by  volcanic 
rocks  of  primitive  formation;  the  surrounding  mountains 
acted  as  shelter,  and  permitted  him  to  bring  the  car  down 
upon  the  earth,  for  there  was  no  tree  which  could  be  utilized 
as  a  hold  for  the  grapnels. 

But,  as  he  had  explained  to  Kennedy,  in  consequence  of 
the  loss  of  the  ballast  at  the  time  of  the  rescue  of  the  priest, 
he  could  not  now  descend  without  letting  a  proportionate 
quantity  of  the  gas  escape :  he  then  opened  the  safety  valve 
of  the  exterior  balloon.  The  hydrogen  escaped,  and  the 
"  Victoria  "  descended  quietly  towards  the  ravine. 

So  soon  as  the  car  touched  the  ground  the  doctor  closed 
the  valve,  Joe  jumped  out,  but  kept  one  hand  upon  the  edge 
of  the  car,  and  with  the  other  he  collected  a  number  of 
stones  which  soon  equaled  his  own  weight.  He  then  set 
to  work  with  both  hands,  and  soon  placed  in  the  car  more 
than  500  lbs.  weight  of  stone,  when  the  doctor  and  Kennedy 
were  able  to  descend  in  their  turn.  The  "  Victoria  "  was 
thus  balanced,  and  its  ascensional  force  was  not  sufficient  to 
raise  her. 

Moreover,  it  was  not  necessary  to  use  a  great  number  of 
these  blocks  of  stone,  for  those  thrown  in  by  Joe  were  of  a 
very  great  weight;  a  fact  which  at  once  directed  Ferguson's 
attention  to  them.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  quartz  and 
porphyritic  rocks. 

"  Here  is  a  curious  discovery!  "  said  the  doctor  to  him- 
self. 

Meantime  Kennedy  and  Joe  were  seeking  a  suitable  spot 
for  the  grave.  It  was  fearfully  hot  in  the  ravine,  shut 
in  as  it  was  like  a  kind  of  furnace.  The  mid-day  sun  poured 
his  rays  directly  upon  it. 

It  was  necessary  first  to  get  rid  of  the  rocky  fragments 
which  encumbered  the  ground;  then  a  grave  was  dug  suffi- 
ciently deep  to  preserve  the  body  from  the  attacks  of  wild 
beasts.    Then  the  body  of  the  priestly  martyr  was  interred 


300  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

with  profound  respect.  The  earth  was  thrown  upon  the 
mortal  remains,  and  the  great  fragments  of  rock  were  dis- 
posed above  hke  a  tombstone. 

The  doctor  still  remained  motionless  and  lost  in  thought. 
He  paid  no  attention  to  the  summons  of  his  companions, 
nor  did  he  return  with  them  to  seek  shelter  from  the  noon- 
tide heat. 

"What  are  you  thinking  of,  Samuel?"  inquired  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  Of  the  curious  contrasts  nature  presents  and  the  ex- 
traordinary effect  of  chance.  Do  you  know  in  what  ground 
this  man  of  self-denial  and  simplicity  has  been  buried?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Samuel  ?  " 

"  This  priest  who  had  vowed  himself  to  poverty  now 
rests  in  a  gold  mine ! " 

"  A  gold  mine ! "  exclaimed  Kennedy  and  Joe. 

"  Yes,  a  gold  mine!  "  replied  the  doctor.  "  These  stones, 
which  you  trample  upon,  as  upon  stones  of  no  value,  are  of 
great  mineral  purity." 

"  Impossible,  impossible !  "  repeated  Joe. 

"  You  will  not  have  to  search  long  amongst  these  fissures 
of  the  schist  without  finding  some  large  nuggets,"  said  the 
doctor. 

Joe  threw  himself  at  once  upon  the  scattered  fragments, 
and  Kennedy  was  not  long  in  following  his  example. 

"  Steady,  my  brave  Joe,"  said  his  master. 

"  Oh !  sir,  you  speak  about  it  very  calmly." 

"What?  a  philosopher  of  your  stamp " 

"  Ah !  sir,  yours  is  the  only  philosophy !  " 

"Let  us  see;  reflect  a  little.  What  good  will  all  this 
gold  do;  we  cannot    carry  it  away?  " 

"  We  cannot  carry  it  away !    Why  not,  for  instance  ?  " 

"  It  is  too  heavy  for  our  car.  I  was  hesitating  whether 
I  should  tell  you  at  all,  for  fear  of  exciting  your  regret." 

"  What !  "  cried  Joe,  "  abandon  all  this  treasure —  a  for- 
tune to  us — our  own — abandon  that !  " 

"  Take  care,  take  care,  my  friend.  Have  you  caught  the 
gold  fever?  Has  not  yonder  dead  body,  which  we  came 
here  to  bury,  taught  you  the  vanity  of  all  earthly  things?  " 

"That  is  all  very  true,"  replied  Joe;  "but  there  is  the 
gold  after  all.  Mr.  Kennedy,  will  you  not  aid  me  in  col- 
lecting a  few  of  these  millions?" 


A  GOOD  MAN'S  DEATH  301 

"What  should  we  do  with  them,  my  poor  Joe?"  said 
the  Scot,  who  could  not  help  smiling.  "  We  did  not  come 
here  to  make  our  fortune,  and  we  ought  not  to  bring  it 
back  with  us." 

"  These  millions  are  too  heavy,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  and 
not  easily  carried  in  the  pocket. 

"  But,"  said  Joe,  driven  to  his  last  intrenchments,  "  why 
cannot  we  carry  this  mineral  as  ballast,  instead  of  sand?" 

"Well,  I  have  no  objection  to  that,"  said  Ferguson; 
"  but  don't  you  feel  disappointed  when  we  have  to  throw 
some  thousands  of  pounds  overboard." 

"  Thousands  of  pounds !  "  repeated  Joe.  "  Is  it  possible 
that  there  is  so  much  gold?  " 

"  Yes,  my  friend ;  this  is  a  reservoir  in  which  Nature 
has  amassed  her  treasure  for  centuries.  There  is  sufficient 
here  to  enrich  whole  countries — an  Australia  and  a  Cali- 
fornia united  at  the  bottom  of  a  desert." 

"And  all  that  will  remain  useless?  " 

"  Perhaps  so.  In  any  case,  listen  to  what  I  propose  for 
your  consolation." 

"  That  will  be  difficult  to  accomplish,"  replied  Joe,  with 
a  grieved  air. 

"  Listen.  I  will  take  the  exact  bearings  of  this  place, 
I  will  make  you  a  present  of  it,  and  on  your  return  to 
England  you  can  share  with  your  friends — if  you  think  so 
much  gold  will  make  them  happy." 

"  Let  us  go,  sir ;  I  see  you  are  right — I  give  up,  since 
I  must.  Let  us  fill  the  car  with  this  precious  mineral. 
What  remains  at  the  termination  of  the  journey  will  be  so 
much  gained." 

So  Joe  set  to  work  with  a  will.  He  soon  collected  about 
1,000  lbs.  of  quartz  fragments,  in  which  the  gold  was  em- 
bedded as  if  in  a  vein  of  great  thickness. 

The  doctor  watched  him  with  a  smile;  during  this  work 
he  took  the  levels  and  found  the  bearings  of  the  tomb  of 
the  missionary  were  22°  23'  long,  and  4°  55'  N.  lat.  Then, 
casting  a  last  look  at  the  spot  where  the  poor  Frenchman 
lay,  he  approached  the  balloon.  He  had  wished  to  erect  a 
modest  yet  substantial  cross  upon  the  tomb  thus  abandoned 
in  the  midst  of  African  wilds,  but  not  a  tree  was  to  be  seen 
in  the  neighborhood, 

"  God  will  know  where  to  find  it,"  he  muttered. 


302  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

A  very  serious  thought  now  began  to  occupy  the  doc- 
tor's mind.  He  would  have  given  a  good  deal  of  this  gold 
to  discover  a  little  water.  He  wanted  to  replace  what  had 
been  thrown  away  during  the  elevation  of  the  negro;  but 
this  was  impossible  in  these  sterile  plains,  and  this  fear  tor- 
mented him.  Obliged  to  keep  the  blow-pipe  continually  at 
work,  he  began  to  be  short  of  water  for  drinking  purposes, 
and  so  made  up  his  mind  not  to  neglect  any  opportunity  to 
replenish  it. 

On  his  return  to  the  car  he  found  it  encumbered  with 
the  stones  thrown  in  by  the  avaricious  Joe,  but  he  got  in 
without  making  any  remark.  Kennedy  took  his  usual  place 
and  Joe  brought  up  the  rear — not  without  directing  a  covet- 
ous glance  at  the  treasure  in  the  ravine. 

The  doctor  lit  the  blow-pipe,  the  coil  was  warmed,  the 
current  of  hydrogen  was  formed  in  a  few  minutes,  the  gas 
expanded,  but  the  balloon  did  not  stir. 

Joe's  face  wore  an  expression  of  uneasiness,  but  he  said 
nothing. 

"  Joe,"  said  the  doctor. 

Joe,  did  not  answer. 

"Joe,  do  you  hear  me?" 

Joe  made  a  sign  that  he  heard,  but  did  not  wish  to  un- 
derstand, 

"  Will  you  be  so  good,"  continued  Ferguson,  "  to  throw 
some  of  that  mineral  over?  " 

"  But,  sir,  you  allowed  me " 

"  I  allowed  you  to  replace  the  ballast — no  more." 

"  Still "^ 

"  Do  you  wish  us  to  remain  in  this  desert  forever  ?  " 

Joe  cast  a  beseeching  glance  at  Kennedy,  but  the  Scot 
had  all  the  appearance  of  a  man  who  could  not  interfere. 

"  Well,  Joe." 

"  Your  blow-pipe  isn't  working  yet,"  said  Joe. 

"  My  blow-pipe  is  working,  as  you  may  see,  but  the  bal- 
loon will  not  rise  until  you  have  got  rid  of  a  little  ballast." 

Joe  scratched  his  ear  and  took  up  a  fragment  of  quartz, 
the  smallest  of  all.  He  weighed  it,  re-weighed  it,  passed  it 
from  hand  to  hand  (it  was  about  3  or  4  lbs.  weight),  and 
threw  it  over. 

The  "  Victoria  "  did  not  stir. 

"  Hang  it,  it  is  not  moving  yet ! "  said  Joe. 


A  GOOD  MAN'S  DEATH  303 


tc 


« 


Not  yet,"  said  the  doctor.     "  Go  on!  " 

Kennedy  laughed,  Joe  threw  away  about  12  lbs. 

The  balloon  remained  immovable.    Joe  got  pale. 

**  My  poor  fellow,"  said  Ferguson,  "  Dick,  you,  and 
myself  weigh,  I  believe,  about  400  lbs. ;  you  must  then  get 
rid  of  a  weight  at  lest  equal  to  ours,  since  it  replaces  us." 

"  Throw  away  400  lbs.  ?  "  cried  Joe  piteously. 

"  And  something  over,  so  that  we  may  ascend.  Go  on ; 
courage." 

The  worthy  lad,  heaving  deep  sighs,  commenced  to  throw 
the  ballast  over.    From  time  to  time  he  stopped. 

"  We  are  ascending,"  he  would  say  each  time. 

"We  are  not,"  the  doctor  would  invariably  reply. 

"  It  moves !  "  he  said  at  last. 
Go  on,"  repeated  Ferguson. 
It  is  ascending,  I  am  sure !  "  said  Joe. 
Go  on  still,"  answered  Ferguson. 

Then  Joe,  taking  up  the  last  block,  desperately  threw  it 
^way  from  the  car. 

The  "  Victoria  "  rose  about  100  feet,  and  the  blow-pipe 
being  at  work,  it  soon  passed  the  neighboring  summits. 

"  Now,  Joe,"  said  the  doctor,  "  there  still  remains  a  large 
fortune  if  we  can  retain  it  until  the  end  of  our  journey,  and 
you  will  be  a  rich  man  to  the  end  of  your  days." 

Joe  made  no  reply,  and  lay  down  gently  upon  his  bed  of 
minerals. 

"  Just  look,  my  dear  Dick,  at  the  influence  this  metal 
has  exercised  upon  the  best  lad  in  the  world.  What  pas- 
sions, what  desires,  what  crimes  might  not  be  born  of  the 
knowledge  of  such  a  mine!     It  is  melancholy." 

In  the  evening  the  "  Victoria "  had  made  ninety  miles 
towards  the  west;  it  was  then  a  direct  line  of  1,400  miles  to 
Zanzibar, 

CHAPTER  XXiy 

THE  DESERT 

The  "  Victoria  "  was  fastened  to  an  almost  withered  and 
solitary  tree,  and  the  night  passed  tranquilly.  The  travelers 
were  thus  enabled  to  enjoy  a  little  of  that  sleep  of  which 
they  stood  in  so  great  need.  The  incidents  of  the  past 
.few  days  had  left  some  sad  memories. 


304  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

Towards  morning  the  sky  appeared  in  all  its  warmth 
and  light.  The  balloon  rose,  and  after  many  failures  it 
encountered  a  current  less  rapid  than  before,  which  carried 
it  towards  the  northwest. 

"  We  do  not  make  much  progress,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  If  I  do  not  mistake,  we  have  accomplished  the  half  of  our 
journey  in  ten  days,  but  at  the  rate  we  are  now  going  it  will 
take  months  to  finish.  That  is  so  much  the  more  to  be 
regretted,  as  we  are  threatened  with  a  scarcity  of  water." 

"But  we  shall  find  some,"  replied  Dick;  "it  is  impos- 
sible that  we  should  not  fall  in  with  some  river,  stream,  or 
pond  in  this  enormous  stretch  of  country." 

"  I  hope  so,  I'm  sure." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  is  Joe's  baggage  that  keeps  us 
back?" 

Kennedy  said  this  to  tease  the  lad,  and  did  so  the  more 
willingly  that  he  had  himself  for  a  moment  experienced  the 
hallucinations  of  Joe;  but  not  having  let  it  appear,  he  as- 
sumed a  stern  countenance,  laughing  in  his  sleeve  all  the 
time. 

Joe  gave  him  a  piteous  look.  But  the  doctor  did  not 
reply.  He  was  thinking,  not  without  secret  terror,  of  the 
vast  solitudes  of  the  Sahara.  Three  weeks  pass  without 
the  caravans  meeting  with  a  well  where  they  can 
slake  their  thirst.  So  the  travelers  watched  most  anxiously 
for  the  least  depressions  of  the  ground.  These  precautions 
and  the  late  incidents  had  had  a  sensible  effect  upon  the 
spirits  of  all.  They  spoke  less,  and  retired  more  into  them- 
selves. 

The  worthy  Joe  had  not  been  the  same  man  since  his 
thoughts  had  plunged  into  the  ocean  of  gold.  He  was 
silent,  and  thinking  deeply  about  those  stones  heaped  up  in 
the  car — to-day  worthless,  to-morrow,  priceless. 

The  appearance  of  this  part  of  the  country  was  really 
alarming.  The  desert  was  opening  up  by  degrees.  Here 
were  no  villages,  not  even  a  collection  of  huts.  Vegetation 
was  gradually  disappearing.  A  few  stunted  bushes  as  on 
Scotch  moors,  a  whitish  sand,  flint  stones,  some  mastic  trees, 
and  brushwood,  that  was  all.  In  the  midst  of  this  sterility 
the  primary  formations  of  the  world  could  be  distinguished 
in  the  faces  of  the  high  and  sharp-edged  rocks.. 

These  tokens  of  barrenness  supplied  Doctor  Ferguson 

V.  1  Verne 


A  MYSTERIOUS  RIVAL 

In  fact,  200  paces  distant,  a  balloon  was  floating  in  the  air,  with  car 
and  travelers  complete.  It  was  following  exactly  the  same  route  as 
the  "Victoria." 

"Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "it  onlj  remains  for   us    to  make    them    a 
sipjnal.     Take  the  flag,  Kennedy,  and  show  them  our  colors." 
If.;  ,-       It  seemed  that  the  travelers  in  the  other  balloon  had  conceived  the 
'  *8Stme  idea  at  the  same  time,  for  a  similar   flag   repeated    the   identical 
.101!  signal  in  a  hand  which  held  it  in  the  same  position. 
"What  is  the  meaning  of  that?"  asked  the  Scot. 
"They  are  monkeys,"  said  Joe,  "and  they  are  imitating  us." — Page 

ay  pr 


At  the 


Vol.  1. 


:m^ 


9g«*3 


,9o{  bisa 


.1  lov 


THE  DESERT  305 

with  much  food  for  thought.  It  did  not  appear  to  him  that 
a  single  caravan  had  ever  traversed  this  desert  region;  it 
would  have  left  behind  it  visible  traces  of  its  encampment  in 
the  bleaching  skeletons  of  man  or  beast. 

But  there  was  nothing,  and  they  could  but  be  aware  that 
a  boundless  extent  of  sand  was  taking  possession  of  the 
whole  region. 

However,  as  it  was  impossible  to  return,  they  must  go 
forward.  The  doctor  desired  no  better.  He  had  been 
wishing  for  a  storm  to  carry  him  beyond  the  limits  of  this 
region.  But  there  was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  At  the  end 
of  that  day  the  "  Victoria  "  had  not  accomplished  thirty 
miles. 

If  only  water  were  not  required!  But  in  all,  they  had 
but  three  gallons  remaining.  Ferguson  put  aside  one  gal- 
lon to  assuage  the  burning  thirst  which  the  heat  at  ninety 
degrees  rendered  intolerable.  Then  two  gallons  remained 
for  the  blow-pipe;  they  could  only  produce  490  cubic  feet 
of  gas,  and  the  blow-pipe  required  about  nine  cubic  feet  an 
hour;  so  they  could  only  proceed  therefore  for  fifty-four 
hours  longer.     This  was  a  mathematical  certainty. 

"Fifty-four  hours,"  said  the  doctor  to  his  companions. 
"  Now,  as  I  have  decided  not  to  travel  during  the  night,  so 
as  not  to  run  the  risk  of  passing  a  stream,  a  spring,  or  lake, 
we  have  just  three  days  and  a  half  more  to  travel,  and 
during  that  period,  we  must  obtain  water  at  any  price.  I 
thought  I  ought  to  make  you  acquainted  with  the  serious 
circumstances  of  the  case,  my  friends,  for  I  have  put  aside 
only  one  gallon  for  drinking  purposes,  and  we  must  submit 
to  a  small  allowance  of  it." 

"  By  all  means  *  allowance  '  us,"  replied  the  Scot,  "  but  we 
need  not  despair;  you  say  we  have  three  days  before  us 
still?" 

"  Yes,  Dick." 

"  Well,  complaining  will  do  no  good ;  In  three  days  it  will 
be  time  enough  to  take  that  line ;  till  then,  let  us  keep  a  good 
look-out." 

At  the  evening  meal,  the  water  was  strictly  measured, 
the  quantity  of  brandy  was  rather  increased  in  the  grog, 
but  it  was  necessary  to  be  cautious  in  using  this  liquor, 
more  likely  to  cause  thirst  than  to  quench  it. 

The  car  rested  during  the  night  upon  an  immense  plain, 


3o6  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

which  was  at  a  very  low  level.  The  height  was  scarcely 
800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  This  circumstance  gave 
the  doctor  some  hope.  He  recalled  the  theories  broached 
by  geographers,  respecting  the  existence  of  a  vast  expanse 
of  water  in  the  interior  of  Africa.  But,  if  such  a  lake 
existed,  they  must  arrive  at  it;  still  there  was  no  change  in 
the  unruffled  sky. 

To  a  calm  and  starlit  night  succeeded  a  burning,  stag- 
nant day.  From  its  earliest  dawn,  the  temperature  was 
broiling.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  doctor  gave 
the  signal  for  departure,  and  for  a  long  time  the  "  Vic-^ 
toria  "  remained  stationary  in  the  leaden  atmosphere. 

The  doctor  had  the  power  to  escape  this  intense  heat,  by 
attaining  a  greater  altitude,  but  to  do  this  would  necessitate 
the  expenditure  of  a  quantity  of  water,  a  thing  now  impos- 
sible. So  he  was  constrained  to  maintain  the  balloon  at  a 
height  of  100  feet,  where  a  gentle  breeze  carried  them 
towards  the  west.  Breakfast  consisted  of  dried  meat  and 
pemmican.  At  mid-day  the  "  Victoria  "  had  scarcely  made 
any  progress. 

"  We  cannot  go  faster,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  we  do  not 
command — we  obey." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Samuel,"  said  the  Scot,  "  this  is  one  of 
the  occasions  in  which  a  propeller  is  not  to  be  despised." 

"No  doubt,  Dick,  always  admitting  that  it  did  not  de- 
pend upon  the  action  of  water  to  move  it,  for  in  that  case 
the  position  would  be  exactly  similar.  Up  to  the  present 
time,  however,  nothing  practical  has  been  invented.  Bal- 
loons are  now  at  the  point  where  ships  were  before  the 
invention  of  steam.  It  took  6,000  years  to  bring  out  the 
paddle  and  the  screw,  so  we  have  plenty  of  time  to  wait." 

"  Confound  this  heat,"  muttered  Joe,  wiping  his  fore- 
head. "  If  we  had  sufficient  water,  this  heat  would  do  us 
good  service,  for  it  would  expand  the  hydrogen,  and  we 
should  not  require  so  great  a  flame  in  the  coil.  It  is  true 
that,  were  we  not  at  the  end  of  our  water-supply,  we  should 
not  need  to  economize  it.  Ah!  that  cursed  savage  who 
obliged  us  to  cast  away  that  precious  tank !  " 

"  Do  you  regret  what  you  have  done,  Samuel  ?  " 

"  No,  Dick,  since  we  have  been  able  to  rescue  that  poor 
fellow  from  a  horrible  death.  Yet  the  100  lbs.  of  water 
which  we  cast  away  .would  have  been  very  useful;  thgr^ 


THE  DESERT  307 

would  then  have  been  twelve  or  thirteen  days*  journey  cer- 
tain, and  we  could  have  crossed  this  desert  in  that 
time." 

"  I  suppose  we  have  got  over  half  the  journey  at  least," 
said  Joe. 

"In  distance,  yes,  in  time,  no;  if  the  wind  drops.  At 
present  it  appears  likely  to  give  out  altogether." 

"  Well,  let  us  go  on,"  replied  Joe,  "there  is  no  use  com- 
plaining. We  have  got  on  pretty  well  hitherto,  and  what- 
ever I  do  I  am  not  going  to  despair.  We  shall  find  water, 
mark  my  words." 

The  ground,  however,  was  still  level,  mile  after  mile,  the 
last  spurs  of  the  "  golden  "  mountains  died  upon  the  plain, 
these  were  the  last  efforts  of  exhausted  nature!  Scattered 
herbs  began  to  take  the  place  of  the  trees  of  the  eastern 
side;  a  few  patches  of  verdure  here  and  there  fought 
stoutly  against  the  ever-encroaching  sand.  Great  rocks, 
fallen  from  the  neighboring  heights,  and  broken  in  their 
fall,  lay  scattered  in  sharp  pebbles,  which  soon  became  a 
coarser  sand,  and  finally  an  imperceptible  dust. 

"  There  is  Africa  as  it  is  represented,  Joe.  I  am  right 
in  counseling  patience. 

"Well,  sir,"  replied  Joe,  "this  is  nature,  at  any  rate; 
between  the  sand  and  the  heat,  it  would  be  absurd  to 
search  for  anything  in  such  a  country  as  this.  Don't  you 
see,"  added  he,  laughing,  "  that  I  have  no  faith  in  your 
forests  and  your  prairies.  It  is  unreasonable.  What  was 
the  use  of  coming  so  far  to  see  merely  a  country  like 
England?  I  now,  for  the  first  time,  believe  that  I  am  in 
Africa,  and  I  am  not  altogether  sorry  to  see  something 
of  it." 

In  the  evening  the  doctor  calculated  that  the  "  Victoria  " 
had  not  traveled  twenty  miles  during  that  broiling  day.  A 
warm  haze  enveloped  them  as  soon  as  the  sun  had  set 
behind  the  horizon,  which  could  be  traced  as  distinctly  as 
a  straight  line. 

Next  day  was  Thursday,  the  ist  of  May,  but  the  days 
succeeded  each  other  with  depressing  monotony.  One 
morning  exactly  resembled  the  preceding;  mid-day  brought 
its  own  rays,  ever  inexhaustible;  and  the  night  condensed 
in  its  gloom  the  scattered  heat  which  the  following  day 
bequeathed  to  its   successor,   night.     The   wind,   scarcely 


3o8  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

perceptible,  became  more  like  a  breath  than  a  breeze,  and 
they  could  prophesy  the  moment  when  this  breath  would 
itself  die  away. 

The  doctor  tried  to  overcome  the  weariness  of  the  posi- 
tion. He  retained  the  self-possession  and  coolness  of  a 
man  inured  to  hardship.  Glass  in  hand,  he  scanned  the 
horizon  in  every  direction.  He  perceived  the  east  hills 
insensibly  disappear,  and  the  last  traces  of  vegetation, 
vanish  away.  Before  him  stretched  the  wide  extent  of  the 
desert. 

The  responsibility  which  devolved  upon  him  affected 
him  a  great  deal,  and  the  more  as  he  sought  to  conceal 
the  feeling.  Those  two  men,  Dick  and  Joe,  friends  both, 
he  had  brought  from  a  distance  almost  by  the  force  of 
friendship  and  duty.  Had  he  done  rightly?  Was  not 
this  to  attempt  forbidden  paths?  Was  not  he  in  this 
journey  attempting  to  pass  the  limits  of  the  impossible? 
Had  not  Providence  reserved  the  knowledge  of  this  un- 
grateful continent  for  future  generations. 

All  these  thoughts,  as  he  grew  less  hopeful,  increased  in 
his  mind,  and  by  an  irresistible  association  of  ideas,  Samuel 
reasoned  himself  beyond  his  logic,  and  his  better  sense. 
After  having  made  up  his  mind  that  there  was  nothing  that 
it  behooved  him  to  do,  he  began  to  ask  himself  what  he 
ought  to  do.  Was  it  impossible  to  return?  Did  not  some 
upper  currents  exist  which  would  carry  them  back  to  less 
torrid  climates.  Sure  of  the  regions  passed,  he  was  ig- 
norant of  the  country  in  front.  His  conscience  reproached 
him,  and  he  determined  to  explain  the  circumstances 
frankly  to  his  companions,  and  tell  them  the  worst.  He 
would  show  them  what  he  had  done,  and  what  remained  to 
do.  If  absolutely  necessary,  they  might  return — attempt 
to  do  so  at  least.     What  was  their  opinion? 

"  I  have  no  opinion  other  than  my  master's,"  said  Joe. 
"  What  he  can  endure,  I  can  endure ;  or  better  than  he. 
Where  he  goes  I  will  go." 

"And  you,  Kennedy?" 

"  I,  my  dear  Samuel  ?  I  am  not  a  man  to  despair ;  no 
one  ignores  less  than  I  do  the  dangers  of  this  expedition, 
but  I  have  not  particularly  desired  to  examine  them  since 
the  moment  I  determined  to  meet  them  with  you.  I  am 
yours,  body  and  soul.     Under  the  circumstances,  my  ad- 


!  THE  DESERT  309 

vice  is  that  we  ought  to  persevere — just  go  on  to  the  end. 
So  let  us  onward,  you  may  reckon  upon  us." 

"  Thanks,  my  worthy  friends,"  repHed  the  doctor  with 
visible  emotion.  "  I  anticipated  your  devotion,  but  these 
encouraging  words  were  necessary  to  me.  Once  more  I 
thank  you  from  my  heart." 

And  the  three  friends  shook  hands  warmly. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  said  Ferguson.  "  According  to  my 
calculations,  we  cannot  be  more  than  300  miles  from  the 
Gulf  of  Guinea;  the  desert  cannot  therefore  extend  in- 
definitely, since  the  coast  is  inhabited  and  explored  to  a 
certain  distance  into  the  interior.  If  it  become  necessary, 
we  must  direct  our  course  towards  this  coast,  and  it  is  im- 
possible for  us  not  to  meet  with  some  oasis  or  well  where 
we  can  replenish  our  store  of  water.  But  we  require 
wind,  and  without  it  we  are  kept  becalmed  in  the  air." 

"Let  us  wait  patiently,"  said  Kennedy. 

But  each  in  his  turn  vainly  scanned  the  desert.  During 
the  interminable  day  nothing  appeared  that  could  give  birth 
to  any  hope.  The  last  undulations  of  the  ground  disap- 
peared as  the  sun  was  setting,  and  his  rays  stretched  in  long 
lines  of  fire  over  the  immense  plain.  It  was  indeed  the 
desert. 

The  travelers  had  not  gained  fifteen  miles,  having  lost, 
including  the  previous  day,  135  cubic  feet  of  gas  to  keep 
the  blow-pipe  in  action,  and  two  pints  of  water  out  of 
eight  had  to  be  sacrificed  to  quench  their  raging  thirst. 

The  night  was  quiet — too  quiet.  The  doctor  did  not 
sleep. 

CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   UNEXPECTED    BALLOON 

The  next  day  there  was  the  same  clear  sky  and  the  same 
calm.  The  "  Victoria  "  floated  at  about  100  feet  high,  but 
the  little  drift  towards  the  west  was  scarcely  perceptible. 

"  We  are  in  the  midst  of  the  desert,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  Look  at  the  expanse  of  sand — what  a  strange  sight — 
what  a  singular  arrangement  of  nature!  Why  should 
there  be  such  luxuriant  vegetation  farther  back,  and  this 
extreme  barrenness  here,  and  this  in  the  same  latitude,  un- 
der the  same  rays  of  the  sun?  " 


3IO  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  The  reason,  my  dear  Samuel,  does  not  disquiet  me," 
replied  Kennedy ;  "  the  '  why '  preoccupies  me  less  than 
the  fact.     It  is  thus,  and  that's  the  great  point  after  all." 

"It  is  a  good  thing  to  be  something  of  a  philosopher, 
my  dear  Dick — that  can  do  no  harm  at  any  rate." 

"Let  us  philosophize;  I  wish  to  do  so  very  much.  We 
have  plenty  of  time — we  are  scarcely  moving." 

"The  wind  is  afraid  to  blow;  it  is  asleep." 

"This  cannot  last,"  said  Joe.  "I  fancy  I  see  some 
streaks  of  cloud  in  the  east." 

"  Joe  is  right,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Good !  "  cried  Kennedy.  "  I  wonder  whether  we  shall 
reach  that  cloud,  with  the  beautiful  rain  and  the  strong 
>vind  it  can  give  us." 

"  We  shall  soon  see,  Dick." 

"This  is  Friday,  sir;  and  I  do  not  like  Fridays." 

"  Well,  I  hope  that  even  to-day  you  will  lose  your  dis- 
trust for  them." 

"I  hope  so,  sir.  Ouf!"  he  cried,  wiping  his  face. 
"  Heat  is  an  excellent  thing,  particularly  in  winter,  but  in 
summer  it  need  not  take  such  a  mean  advantage  of  us." 

"  Are  you  not  afraid  of  the  effects  of  the  sun  upon  your 
balloon?  "  asked  Kennedy  of  the  doctor. 

"  No,  the  gutta-percha  with  which  the  silk  is  coated  is 
able  to  endure  a  much  higher  temperature.  I  have  some- 
times submitted  it  inside  to  a  heat  of  158  degrees,  and  the 
*  envelope '  does  not  appear  to  have  suffered." 

"  A  cloud,  a  real  cloud ! "  cried  Joe  at  this  juncture, 
whose  sharp  eyes  beat  all  glasses. 

In  fact,  a  thick  and  solid  band  was  distinctly  rising 
slowly  above  the  horizon;  it  appeared  large  and  bloated. 
It  was  a  pile  of  small  clouds  which  always  kept  their  orig- 
inal shapes,  from  which  the  doctor  concluded  that  no  cur^ 
rent  of  air  existed  in  their  masses. 

This  compact  heap  had  appeared  about  eight  o'clock  in 
the  morning;  at  eleven  it  had  reached  the  sun,  which  dis- 
appeared entirely  behind  this  thick  curtain.  At  this  very 
moment  the  lower  end  of  the  cloud  rose  above  the  horizon, 
which  appeared  clear  and  bright. 

"  It  is  only  a  single  cloud,  and  we  must  not  count  upon 
it.  Look,  Dick,  its  form  is  exactly  the  same  as  it  was  this 
morning." 


THE  UNEXPECTED  BALLOON     311 

"  So,  Samuel,  there  is  neither  rain  nor  wind  for  us,  at 
least." 

"  I  fear  not,  it  keeps  up  very  high." 

"  Well,  Samuel,  so  we  are  going  to  hunt  this  cloud, 
which  will  not  break  over  us?  " 

"  I  do  not  think  that  would  do  much  good,"  replied  the 
doctor;  "that  would  expend  a  quantity  of  gas  and  water. 
But  in  a  position  such  as  ours,  it  will  not  do  to  neglect  any- 
thing; we  will  go  up  higher." 

The  doctor  developed  a  tremendous  heat  from  the  blow- 
pipe, and  the  balloon  soon  rose  under  the  influence  of  the 
expanded  hydrogen. 

About  1,500  feet  from  the  ground,  they  encountered  a 
thick  mass  of  cloud,  and  entered  into  a  thick  mist  pervading 
at  this  height,  but  they  did  not  find  the  least  breath  of  wind. 
The  fog  even  appeared  to  be  deprived  of  moisture,  and 
objects  exposed  to  contact  with  it  were  scarcely  wetted. 
The  "  Victoria,"  enveloped  in  this  vapor,  perhaps  proceeded 
a  little  faster  there,  but  that  was  all. 

The  doctor  was  with  sadness  considering  the  very  mea- 
ger result  obtained  from  his  maneuver,  when  he  heard  Joe 
cry  out  in  surprised  accents: 

"Oh!  look  here!" 

"What  is  it,  Joe?" 

"  Oh,  sir!  oh,  Mr.  Kennedy!  is  not  that  extraordinary!  " 

"  What  have  you  there  ?  " 

"  We  are  not  alone  here !  There  are  intruders ;  they 
have  stolen  our  invention  from  us." 

"  Has  he  gone  mad  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

Joe  stood  as  immovable  as  a  statue. 

"  I  think  the  lad  is  suffering  from  sunstroke,"  said  thg 
doctor,  turning  towards  him. 

"  What  do  you  say?  "  said  he. 

"  Look  there,  sir,"  said  Joe,  indicating  a.  certain  direc- 
tion. 

"  By  St.  Patrick ! "  cried  Kennedy,  in  his  turn,  "  that  is 
scarcely  creditable.     Samuel,  Samuel,  look  here !  " 

"I  see,"  replied  the  doctor  quietly;  "another  balloon,; 
with  other  travelers  like  ourselves." 

In  fact,  200  paces  distant,  a  balloon  was  floating  in  thl 
air,  with  car  and  travelers  complete.  It  was  following 
exactly  the  same  route  as  the  "Victoria." 


312  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  it  only  remains  for  us  to 
make  them  a  signal.  Take  the  flag,  Kennedy,  and  show 
them  our  colors." 

It  seemed  that  the  travelers  in  the  other  balloon  had 
conceived  the  same  idea  at  the  same  time,  for  a  similar 
flag  repeated  the  identical  signal  in  a  hand  which  held  it  in 
the  same  position. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  that?"  asked  the  Scot. 

"They  are  monkeys,"  said  Joe,  "and  they  are  imiating 
US." 

"  It  means,"  replied  Ferguson,  laughing,  "  /that  it  is 
yourself  who  is  making  the  signal  to  you,  my  dear  Dick; 
that  is  to  say,  that  we  ourselves  are  in  the  other  car,  and 
that  that  balloon  is  really  our  own  'Victoria.'  " 

"  Well,  sir,  with  all  due  respect  to  you,"  said  Joe,  "  you 
:will  never  make  me  believe  that." 

"  Get  up  on  the  edge  of  the  car,  Joe,  and  wave  your 
arms;  then  you  will  see  if  I  am  right." 

Joe  obeyed,  and  his  gestures  were  exactly  and  instan- 
taneously repeated. 

"  It  is  only  the  effect  of  mirage,"  said  the  doctor,  "  noth- 
ing more — a  simple  optical  delusion — and  is  due  to  the  un- 
equal rarefaction  of  the  air-strata — that's  all." 

"  It  is  most  extraordinary,"  said  Joe,  who  could  not 
take  it  all  in.  and  kept  waving  his  arms  about  to  convince 
himself  on  the  subject. 

"  A  curious  sight,  indeed !  "  said  Kennedy.  "  It  is  pleas- 
ant too  to  see  our  brave  'Victoria.'  Do  you  know  she  has 
quite  a  grand  appearance,  and  floats  in  a  right  royal 
manner." 

"  You  have  explained  this  appearance  very  well  in  your 
own  way,"  said  Joe,  "  but  it  is  a  singular  effect  all  the 
same." 

But  the  "double"  of  the  "Victoria"  gradually  disap- 
peared, the  clouds  ascended  to  a  great  height  above  the 
balloon,  which  did  not  attempt  to  follow  them,  and  in 
about  an  hour  they  disappeared. 

The  wind,  even  hitherto  scarcely  perceptible,  appeared 
to  drop  altogether.  The  doctor,  in  despair,  descended  to- 
wards the  ground. 

The  travelers,  who  had  been  aroused  from  their  pre- 
occupation by  the  appearance  of  the  mirage,  again  yielded 


THE  UNEXPECTED  BALLOON     313 

to  their  gloomy   thoughts,   overcome   by   the  tremendous 
heat. 

Towards  four  o'clock  Joe  signaled  some  objects  stand- 
ing in  relief  against  the  sandy  background,  and  soon  he 
was  able  to  announce  that  two  palm-trees  were  visible  at 
a  short  distance. 

"Palms!"  cried  Ferguson;  "then  there  is  a  fountain 
or  a  well  there."  He  took  up  a  telescope  to  assure  himself 
that  Joe  had  not  made  a  mistake. 

"At  last!"  he  cried.  "Water,  water!  we  are  saved; 
for  although  we  are  going  very  slowly,  we  are  moving,  and 
we  must  get  there." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Joe,  "  suppose  we  have  a  drink  in  the 
meantime — the  heat  is  stifling." 

"  By  all  means,  my  lad." 

No  one  had  any  objections,  and  a  pint  of  water  was 
distributed.  The  store  was  now  reduced  to  three  and  a 
half  pints. 

"Ah!  that  does  one  good,"  cried  Joe.  "Better  than  all 
Barclay  and  Perkins's  brewings." 

"  Such  are  the  advantages  of  privation,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  They  are  small,  taking  them  altogether,"  said  Kennedy; 
"  and  though  I  should  never  be  allowed  again  to  experience 
the  pleasure  of  drinking  a  glass  of  water,  I  would  consent 
to  lose  the  pleasure  as  the  condition  of  never  being  de- 
prived of  the  substance." 

At  six  o'clock  the  "  Victoria "  was  floating  about  the 
palms.  They  were  two  miserably  small,  dried-up  trees — * 
two  specters  of  trees,  without  foliage — more  dead  than 
alive.     Ferguson  contemplated  them  with  fear  in  his  heart. 

At  their  base  the  broken  stones  of  a  well  were  dis- 
cernible, but  these  stones,  baked  by  the  sun,  seemed  little 
more  than  dust.  There  was  not  the  faintest  trace  of  wa- 
ter. Ferguson's  heart  sank  within  him,  and  he  was  be- 
ginning to  share  the  terrors  of  his  companions,  when  their 
exclamations  attracted  his  attention. 

Stretching  out  of  sight  to  the  westward  was  extended  a 
long  line  of  whitened  bones.  Fragments  of  skeletons  sur- 
rounded the  fountain;  evidently  a  caravan  had  reached 
thus  far,  marking  its  passage  by  a  trail  of  bones !  The 
weakest  had  fallen,  one  after  the  other,  upon  the  distant 
sand;  the  stronger  ones  had  struggled  on  to  the  desired 


314  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

fountain,  and  on  its  brink  had  found  a  horrible  death. 

The  travelers  gazed  with  whitened  faces  at  these  dread- 
ful signs. 

"  Do  not  descend,"  said  Kennedy ;  "  let  us  fly  this  hor- 
rible sight.     There  is  not  a  drop  of  water  to  be  obtained." 

"  Not  so,  Dick.  Let  us  do  our  best  about  this.  We 
may  as  well  pass  the  night  here  as  anywhere  else.  We 
will  sound  these  wells — a  spring  has  existed  here — ^perhaps 
there  are  traces  of  it  still." 

The  "  Victoria  "  was  brought  to  the  ground.  Joe  and 
Kennedy  threw  into  the  car  a  weight  of  sand  equivalent  to 
their  own,  and  they  got  out.  They  ran  towards  the  wells, 
and  penetrated  into  the  interior  by  means  of  a  stairway, 
already  crumbling  to  dust.  The  spring  appeared  to  have 
been  dried  up  for  years.  They  dug  into  the  dry  and  pow- 
dered sand — that  most  arid  of  all  sands — but  there  was  not 
even  a  trace  of  dampness. 

The  doctor  saw  them  returning,  perspiring,  disheveled, 
and  covered  with  fine  dust;  they  were  defeated,  discour- 
aged, and  desperate.  He  perceived  the  failure  of  their 
search.  He  had  expected  such  a  result,  and  said  nothing. 
He  felt  that  from  this  day  forward  he  must  have  courage 
and  energy  for  all  three. 

Joe  had  brought  up  the  remains  of  an  old  dried  leather 
bottle,  which  he  threw  angrily  amongst  the  bones  scattered 
around  him.  During  supper,  not  a  word  was  spoken  by 
the  travelers ;  they  ate  without  appetite.  And  yet  they  had 
not  hitherto  really  suffered  the  torments  of  thirst,  and  they 
only  despaired  for  the  future. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

A  DESPAIRING  SEARCH 

The  distance  accomplished  by  the  "  Victoria "  during 
the  preceding  day  did  not  exceed  ten  miles,  and  to  sustain 
her  in  the  air  they  had  used  162  cubic  feet  of  gas. 

On  Saturday  morning  the  doctor  gave  the  signal  for 
departure. 

"  The  blow-pipe,"  said  he,  "  can  only  work  for  six  hours 
longer.  If  in  that  time  we  do  not  reach  a  well  or  spring, 
God  alone  knows  what  will  become  of  us." 


A  DESPAIRING  SEARCH  315 

"  There  is  very  little  wind  this  morning,"  said  Joe ;  "  but 
perhaps  it  will  increase,"  added  he,  seeing  the  scarcely-con- 
cealed anxiety  of  Ferguson. 

Vain  hope!  The  air  was  perfectly  still — one  of  those 
calms  which,  in  tropical  climates,  keep  ships  helpless  for 
days.  The  heat  became  intolerable,  and  the  thermometer 
marked  130°  in  the  shade. 

Joe  and  Kennedy  lay  side  by  side,  and  sought  in  sleep, 
or  rather  torpor,  to  forget  the  terrors  of  their  position. 
This  forced  inactivity  was  most  distressing.  A  man  is  to 
be  pitied  who  is  unable  to  divert  his  thoughts  by  work  or 
occupation ;  but  here  there  was  nothing  to  watch  over  or  to 
attempt  to  do  any  longer.  They  were  obliged  to  submit 
to  the  situation,  without  any  power  to  better  it. 

The  sufferings  arising  from  thirst  now  began  to  assert 
themselves  cruelly.  Brandy,  far  from  allaying,  rather  in- 
creased them,  and  well  does  it  merit  the  name  of  "  tiger's 
milk,"  which  has  been  bestowed  upon  it  by  the  natives  of 
Africa.  About  two  pints  of  warm  liquid  was  all  that  re- 
mained. Each  one  gloated  over  these  precious  drops,  but 
no  one  dared  to  wet  his  lips.  Two  pints  of  water  in  the 
midst  of  the  desert! 

Then  Doctor  Ferguson  began  to  reflect  whether  he  had 
been  wise  in  what  he  had  done.  Would  it  not  have  been 
better  to  have  preserved  the  water  he  had  decomposed  to 
no  purpose  to  maintain  the  balloon  in  the  air?  He  had  no 
doubt  made  a  little  progress,  but  were  they  any  better  for 
it?  When  he  found  he  had  gained  sixty  miles  in  this  lati- 
tude, what  did  it  matter,  since  they  were  in  want  of  water 
at  that  place  ?  The  wind,  if  it  did  get  up,  would  blow  lower 
down  as  well  as  up  there — even  less  strongly  up  there  if  it 
came  from  the  east.  But  hope  impelled  Samuel  forward. 
And  yet  those  two  gallons  of  water,  expended  in  vain, 
would  have  sufficed  for  a  nine-days'  halt  in  the  desert. 
And  what  changes  might  not  nine  days  bring  forth?  Per- 
haps, however,  while  preserving  this  water,  had  he  been 
able  to  ascend  by  throwing  out  ballast,  he  must  have  let 
the  gas  escape  when  he  wished  to  descend.  But  the  gas 
of  the  balloon  was  its  very  existence,  its  life-blood! 

These  thoughts,  and  a  thousand  others,  passed  through 
the  doctor's  brain.  He  sat  for  hours,  his  head  clasped 
between  his  hands,  and  stirred  not. 


3i6  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  We  must  make  a  final  effort,"  he  said  to  his  compan- 
ions, about  six  o'clock.  "  We  must  endeavor  to  find  an 
atmospheric  current  which  will  carry  us  forward.  We 
must  risk  everything." 

And  while  his  friends  slept  he  brought  the  hydrogen  in 
the  balloon  to  a  very  high  temperature.  The  balloon 
filled  out  as  the  gas  expanded,  and  mounted  perpendicu- 
larly upwards.  The  doctor  sought  vainly  for  a  breath  of 
wind  from  a  hundred  feet  to  nearly  five  miles  up.  His 
point  of  departure  w^as  exactly  beneath.  A  dead  calm  ap- 
peared to  reign  even  up  to  the  last  limit  of  the  atmospheric 
air. 

At  length  the  water  failed;  the  blow-pipe  ceased  for 
want  of  gas;  the  Buntzen-pile  stopped  working;  and  the 
"  Victoria,"  collapsing,  descended  quietly  upon  the  sand, 
where  the  car  had  already  hollowed  out  its  impression. 

It  was  mid-day;  the  bearings  were  19°  35'  long.,  6°  51' 
lat. — nearly  500  miles  from  Lake  Tchad,  more  than  400 
miles  from  the  western  coast  of  Africa. 

As  the  balloon  touched  the  ground,  Dick  and  Joe 
aroused  from  their  torpor. 

"  We  are  stopping,"  said  the  Scot. 

"We  have  no  choice,"  replied  the  doctor  in  a  grave 
tone. 

His  companions  understood  him.  The  level  of  the 
ground  was  of  the  level  of  the  sea,  in  consequence  of  its 
uniform  flatness;  so  the  balloon  maintained  itself  in  per- 
fect equilibrium,  and  was  absolutely  motionless. 

The  weight  of  the  travelers  was  replaced  by  an  equiva- 
lent charge  of  sand,  and  they  alighted.  Each  was  ab- 
sorbed in  thought,  and  for  many  hours  no  one  spoke.  Joe 
prepared  supper  of  biscuit  and  pemmican,  of  which  they 
ate  little;  a  sip  of  tepid  water  completed  this  melancholy 
repast.  No  one  kept  watch  during  the  night,  yet  no  one 
slept.  The  heat  was  suffocating.  Next  day  there  was 
only  half  a  pint  of  water  remaining — ^the  doctor  put  it  by, 
resolved  that  it  should  not  be  touched,  except  in  the  last 
extremity. 

"  I  am  suffocating,"  Joe  soon  cried ;  "  the  heat  is  greater 
than  ever.  But  that  does  not  astonish  me,"  he  added,  af- 
ter consulting  the  thermometer;  "  it  is  140°  !  " 

"The  sand  is  baking  you,"  said  the  Scot,  "as  if  it  were 


A  DESPAIRING  SEARCH  317 

an  oven.  And  not  a  cloud  to  be  seen  in  that  fiery  sky. 
It  is  maddening." 

"  We  must  not  despair,"  said  the  doctor.  "  These  great 
heats  are  invariably  succeeded  by  storms  in  this  latitude, 
and  they  arise  with  extreme  rapidity.  Notwithstanding 
the  wonderful  serenity  of  the  sky,  a  great  change  may 
arise  within  an  hour." 

"  But,  after  all,  something  must  indicate  it,"  said  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  it  appears  to  me  that  the 
barometer  is  a  trifle  lower." 

"  Heaven  grant  it,  Samuel,  for  we  are  now  bound  to 
earth  like  a  bird  with  broken  wings." 

"  With  this  difference,  my  dear  Dick,  that  our  wings 
are  whole,  and  I  have  great  hope  they  will  serve  us  well 
yet." 

"  Oh  for  a  wind !  for  wind !  "  cried  Joe,  "  to  waft  us  to 
a  stream,  or  a  well,  and  we  should  want  nothing  more ;  our 
provisions  are  sufficient,  and  with  water  we  could  remain  a 
month  without  any  trouble.     But  thirst  is  an  awful  thing." 

Not  only  thirst,  but  there  was  the  incessant  contempla- 
tion of  the  desert  to  fatigue  the  mind;  there  was  no  rising 
ground,  no  sand-heap,  not  even  a  stone,  upon  which  to  fix 
the  eyes.  This  flatness  was  irritating,  and  gave  rise  to 
what  is  denominated  "  the  desert  sickness."  The  impassi- 
bility of  the  blue  dryness  of  the  sky  and  the  yellow  expanse 
of  the  sand  was  terrifying.  In  this  burning  atmosphere 
the  heat  seemed  to  quiver  as  over  a  furnace;  the  mind 
grew  desperate  in  beholding  the  fearful  calm,  and  could 
not  get  a  glimpse  of  any  reason  why  or  when  such  a  state 
of  things  would  have  an  end.  The  immensity  was  a  sort 
of  eternity. 

Thus  these  unfortunate  people,  deprived  of  water  in 
this  torrid  heat,  began  to  experience  symptoms  of  hallu- 
cination; their  eyes  grew  hollow,  and  their  vision  became 
troubled. 

When  night  fell  the  doctor  resolved  to  shake  off  this 
feeling  by  a  rapid  walk;  he  wished  to  explore  the  sandy 
plain  for  several  hours — not  for  exploring,  but  for  walk- 
ing's sake. 

"Come!"  said  he  to  his  companions;  "believe  me,  it 
will  do  you  good." 


3i8  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 


(( 


Impossible!"  replied  Kennedy,  "I  cannot  stir  a  step." 
I  would  rather  sleep,"  said  Joe. 
"  But  sleep  or  repose  is  deadly,  my  friends.     Struggle 
against  this  languor.     Come  along !  " 

The  doctor  could  prevail  nothing,  so  he  went  away  alone; 
into  the  midst  of  the  starry  and  transparent  night.  His 
first  steps  were  made  with  difficulty — the  steps  of  a  man 
weakened  and  unaccustomed  to  walking — but  he  was  well 
aware  that  the  exercise  would  do  him  good.  He  advanced 
many  miles  towards  the  west,  and  his  mind  was  already 
feeling  more  consoled,  when  suddenly  he  was  seized  with 
faintness;  he  fancied  he  was  falling  into  a  pit,  he  felt 
his  knees  give  way  beneath  him — the  vast  solitude  fright- 
ened him.  He  felt  the  central  point  of  an  infinite  circum- 
ference, that  is  to  say,  nothing.  The  "  Victoria  "  disap- 
peared altogether  in  the  darkness.  The  doctor  was  seized 
by  a  fearful  foreboding — he,  the  cool,  intrepid  traveler. 
He  wanted  to  return,  but  in  vain.  He  called  out;  there 
was  not  even  an  echo  to  reply,  and  his  voice  fell  into  space 
like  a  stone  cast  into  a  bottomless  abyss.  He  cast  himself, 
almost  swooning,  upon  the  sand,  alone  amidst  the  terrible 
solitude  of  the  desert. 

At  midnight  he  regained  consciousness  in  the  arms  of 
his  faithful  Joe,  who,  anxious  at  his  master's  prolonged 
absence,  had  followed  his  tracks,  firmly  printed  in  the 
plain.     He  found  him  senseless. 

"  What  has  been  the  matter,  sir?  "  inquired  Joe. 

"  Nothing,  my  brave  Joe ;  a  momentary  weakness,  that's 
all." 

"That  will  be  nothing  to  hurt,  sir;  but  get  up  and  lean 
on  me,  and  we  will  regain  the  '  Victoria.'  "  And  the  doc- 
tor, assisted  by  Joe,  retraced  his  steps. 

"It  was  imprudent  of  you  sir;  you  should  not  have 
ventured  alone.  You  might  have  been  robbed,"  he  added, 
laughing.     "  But  seriously  speaking,  sir " 

"  Well,  I  am  listening." 

"  We  must  really  do  something;  we  cannot  go  on  thus 
for  many  days  longer  and  if  no  wind  gets  up,  we  are 
lost." 

The  doctor  did  not  reply. 

"  Well,  someone  must  sacrifice  himself  for  the  good  of 
the  rest;  and  it  is  only  natural  that  I  should." 


A  DESPAIRING  SEARCH  319 


ti 


What  do  you  say?  What  is  your  plan?  " 
A  very  simple  plan,  indeed.  To  take  some  food,  and 
go  straight  ahead  until  I  reach  some  place,  which  I  cannot 
fail  to  do.  Meantime,  if  Heaven  send  you  a  favorable 
wind,  you  need  not  wait  for  me — you  can  go.  I,  on  my 
part,  if  I  come  to  a  village,  will  explain  the  circumstances 
with  the  words  of  Arabic  you  will  write  down  for  me,  and 
I  will  bring  you  assistance  if  I  lose  my  skin.  What  do  you 
say  to  my  plan?  " 

"  It  is  madness,  but  worthy  of  your  brave  heart.  It  is 
out  of  the  question  that  you  can  leave  us." 

"Well,  we  must  try  something,  sir!  it  cannot  hurt  you, 
and,  I  repeat,  you  need  not  wait  for  me — ^perhaps  I  shall 
succeed." 

"  No,  Joe,  no ;  we  must  not  separate — that  would  be  an 
additional  trouble  to  us.  It  was  decreed  that  this  should 
happen,  and  very  likely  it  is  decreed  that  something  else 
shall  happen  later.     So  let  us  wait  with  resignation." 

"  So  be  it,  sir;  but  I  warn  you  of  one  thing.  I  will  give 
you  another  day,  I  will  not  wait  longer.  This  is  Sunday, 
or  rather  Monday,  as  it  is  now  one  o'clock  in  the  morning; 
if  Tuesday  does  not  see  us  off,  I  shall  try  my  plan — that  is 
decided." 

The  doctor  made  no  reply,  and  they  soon  arrived  at  the 
balloon,  where  they  sat  down  beside  Kennedy.  He  was 
plunged  in  a  silence  so  deep,  that  it  could  not  have  been 
sleep  that  bound  him. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

DELUSIONS 

The  doctor's  first  care  on  the  morrow  was  to  consult 
the  barometer.  It  did  not  appear  that  the  mercury  had 
fallen  in  any  appreciable  degree.  "  Nothing,"  he  said, 
"  nothing  to  hope  for." 

He  came  out  of  the  car  and  looked  at  the  sky;  there 
was  the  same  heat,  the  same  clearness,  the  same  stillness. 
"  Must  we  then  really  relinquish  all  hope  ?  "  he  cried  in 
vain. 

Joe  did  not  say  a  word — he  was  still  pondering  upon 
his  project.     Kennedy  got  up,  but  was  very  ill,  and  a  prey 


320  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

to  a  restless  excitement.  He  was  suffering  terribly  from 
thirst.  His  tongue  and  lips  were  so  swollen  that  he  could 
scarcely  utter  a  sound. 

There  were  still  a  few  drops  of  water  remaining.  Each 
man  knew  it,  each  thought  of  it,  and  felt  attracted  by  it, 
but  nobody  dared  to  approach  it. 

These  three  companions  and  friends  now  looked  at  each 
other  with  haggard  eyes,  and  with  a  feeling  of  horrible 
longing,  which  displayed  itself  in  Kennedy  chiefly.  His 
powerful  frame  was  less  able  to  tolerate  these  privations. 
During  all  that  day  he  was  a  prey  to  delirium;  he  moved 
about,  uttering  hoarse  cries,  biting  his  fingers,  and  ready  to 
open  a  vein  to  assuage  his  thirst. 

"  Ah !  "  he  cried.  "  Country  of  thirst,  you  are  well 
named  the  region  of  despair  1 "  Then  he  fell  into  a  pro- 
found lethargy,  and  nothing  could  be  heard  but  the  sound 
of  his  breathing  between  his  swollen  lips. 

Towards  evening  Joe  was  seized  with  symptoms  of 
madness.  The  vast  stretch  of  sand  appeared  to  him  an 
immense  pond  filled  with  clear  and  sparkling  water.  More 
than  once  he  cast  himself  upon  the  burning  ground  to 
drink,  and  raising  his  mouth,  filled  with  sand,  would  ex- 
claim with  anger:  "Curse  it,  it  is  salt  water!" 

Afterwards,  while  Kennedy  and  Ferguson  lay  motion- 
less, he  was  seized  with  an  invincible  desire  to  drink  the 
few  remaining  drops  of  water  kept  in  reserve.  The  wish 
overpowered  him.  He  crept  towards  the  car  on  all-fours; 
he  devoured  the  contents  of  the  bottle  with  his  eyes;  he 
cast  a  cautious  look  around,  and  seizing  it,  put  it  to  his 
lips. 

At  this  moment  the  words  "  Give  me  some,  give  me  a 
drink,"  were  uttered  in  despairing  accents. 

It  was  Kennedy,  who  had  dragged  himself  towards  Joe. 
The  unhappy  man  was  to  be  pitied;  he  begged  upon  his 
knees,  he  even  wept.  Joe  wept  too,  and  handed  him  the 
bottle,  which  Kennedy  finished  to  the  last  drop. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said.  But  Joe  did  not  hear  him,  he 
had  fallen,  like  Kennedy,  upon  the  sand. 

We  will  pass  over  the  horrors  of  that  night.  But  on 
Tuesday  morning,  under  the  fiery  rays  of  the  sun  that 
bathed  their  limbs,  the  unfortunate  travelers  felt  them  with- 
ering up  by  degrees.     When  Joe  attempted  to  rise,   he 

V.  1  Verne 


DELUSIONS  321 

found  it  was  impossible  to  get  up — he  was  unable  to  carry- 
out  his  plan. 

He  looked  around  him.  In  the  car  the  doctor,  quite 
exhausted,  his  arms  folded  across  his  chest,  was  gazing 
into  space,  with  a  fixed  and  lack-luster  look.  Kennedy- 
was  really  alarming,  and  kept  shaking  his  head  from  side 
to  side  like  a  wild  beast  in  a  cage.  Suddenly-  the  Scot's 
glance  fell  upon  his  carbine,  the  stock  of  which  protruded 
over  the  side  of  the  car. 

"  Ha,  ha !  "  he  cried,  raising  himself  by  an  almost  super- 
human effort.  He  made  a  dart  to  secure  the  gun;  mad- 
dened and  foolish,  he  directed  the  muzzle  to  his  mouth. 

"Sir,  sir!  "cried  Joe,  throwing  himself  upon  Kennedy. 
They  struggled  furiously  together. 

"  Go  away,  or  I  will  kill  you ! "  cried  Kennedy. 

But  Joe  held  him  with  all  his  force,  and  thus  they  con- 
tended, without  the  doctor  appearing  to  observe  them,  for 
nearly  a  minute.  In  the  struggle  the  carbine  suddenly  ex- 
ploded. At  the  noise  of  the  discharge  the  doctor  rose  like 
a  specter  and  looked  around  him. 

"  Down  there;  look  there! "  he  cried. 

He  pointed  to  a  certain  point  so  energetically  that  Joe 
and  Kennedy  separated  by  mutual  consent,  and  looked  at 
him  and  then  in  the  direction  indicated. 

The  plain  was  agitated  like  a  tempestuous  sea.  Waves 
of  sand  were  tossed  one  upon  the  other  in  the  midst  of  a 
fearful  dust-cloud.  An  immense  pillar  of  sand  came  from 
the  southeast,  whirling  and  eddying  with  tremendous  swift- 
ness. The  sun  disappeared  behind  a  thick  cloud,  whose 
shade  extended  even  to  the  "  Victoria."  The  grains  of 
fine  sand  glistened  like  liquid  beads,  and  this  rising  sea 
gained  upon  them  by  degrees. 

A  swift  beam  of  hope  leaped  from  Doctor  Ferguson's 
eyes. 

"  The  simoon ! "  he  cried. 

"  The  simoon ! "  repeated  Joe  without  understanding 
him. 

"So  much  the  better!"  exclaimed  Kennedy,  with  the 
anger  of  despair,  "  so  much  the  better — we  shall  die !  " 

"  So  much  the  better,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  for,  on  the 
contrary,  we  shall  live."  And  he  began  to  cast  out  the 
sand  which  ballasted  the  car. 


322  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

His  companions,  understanding  him,  at  last  came  to  his 
assistance,  and  soon  took  their  places  in  the  car. 

"  Now,  Joe,"  said  the  doctor,  "  throw  over  about  fifty- 
pounds  of  your  mineral  treasures." 

Joe  did  not  hesitate,  though  a  pang  of  regret  shot 
through  him.     The  balloon  began  to  rise. 

"  Just  in  time,"  said  the  doctor. 

In  fact  the  simoon  came  upon  them  like  a  thunderbolt. 
A  little  later  and  the  "  Victoria "  would  have  been 
smashed,  torn  to  pieces,  annihilated. 

The  terrible  whirlwind  struck  them  and  the  balloon  was 
covered  with  a  shower  of  sand. 

"  More  of  that  ballast,  Joe,"  cried  the  doctor. 

"  There  it  goes,"  said  Joe,  throwing  over  an  immense 
piece  of  quartz. 

The  "  Victoria  "  mounted  rapidly  above  the  whirlwind, 
but  surrounded  by  an  immense  vacuum  of  air,  it  was  hur- 
ried along  by  the  current  at  a  frightful  pace  above  the 
foaming  sea  of  sand. 

Neither  Samuel,  Dick,  nor  Joe  spoke  a  word.  They 
looked  on  in  hope,  and  were,  moreover,  refreshed  by  the 
wind  of  this  tempest. 

At  three  o'clock  the  storm  abated;  the  sand  in  falling 
formed  a  quantity  of  little  heaps,  the  sky  reappeared  in  all 
its  former  tranquillity.  The  "  Victoria,"  now  motionless, 
was  in  full  view  of  an  oasis,  a  little  isle  covered  with 
green  trees  and  rising  from  the  surface  of  this  ocean. 

"  Water !  water !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor,  and  immediately 
opening  the  valve  he  permitted  the  escape  of  the  hydrogen 
and  descended  gently  at  about  200  paces  from  the  oasis. 
During  a  period  of  four  hours  they  had  traveled  240  miles. 

The  car  was  duly  balanced,  and  Kennedy,  followed  by 
Joe,  got  down  on  the  ground. 

"  Take  your  rifles,"  said  the  doctor,  "  and  be  cautious." 

Dick  caught  up  his  carbine,  Joe  took  one  of  the  rifles. 
They  advanced  quickly  up  to  the  trees  and  penetrated 
amid  the  fresh  verdure  which  announced  the  abundance  of 
water.  They  took  no  notice  of  some  large  footprints  and 
of  the  fresh  trail  which  was  indicated  upon  the  damp 
ground. 

Suddenly  a  roar  resounded  within  twenty  paces. 

"  'Tis  the  roar  of  a  lion !  "  cried  Joe. 


DELUSIONS  323 

"All  -the  better,"  replied  the  exasperated  Scotchman; 
"  one  feels  strong  when  there's  fighting  to  be  done." 

"Do  be  prudent,  Mr.  Dick,  pray  be  prudent — on  the 
life  of  one  depends  the  life  of  all  now." 

But  Dick,  who  did  not  hear  him,  advanced  with  blazing 
eyes  and  loaded  gun,  terrible  in  his  rashness.  Beneath  a 
palm  tree  an  enormous  lion  with  black  mane  was  crouched. 
Scarcely  did  he  perceive  the  hunter  than  he  sprang  at  him ; 
but  he  had  not  touched  ground  again  when  a  bullet  through 
the  heart  settled  him.     He  fell  dead. 

"  Hurrah !  hurrah !  "  cried  Joe. 

Kennedy  hurried  towards  the  wells,  slipping  upon  the 
damp  steps,  and  stretched  himself  down  beside  a  spring,  in 
which  he  eagerly  laved  his  swollen  lips.  Joe  followed  his 
example,  and  they  heard  nothing  save  the  cries  of  the  ani- 
mals which  they  had  disturbed  by  their  approach. 

"  Be  cautious,  Mr.  Dick,"  said  Joe,  as  he  took  breath, 
"  do  not  drink  too  much  at  first." 

But  Dick,  without  replying,  continued  drinking.  He 
plunged  his  head  and  hands  into  the  grateful  water — he 
was  like  a  man  intoxicated. 

"  And  about  Mr.  Ferguson  ?  "  said  Joe. 

This  recalled  Kennedy  to  himself.  He  filled  a  bottle  he 
had  brought  and  hurried  up  the  steps.  But  what  was  his 
surprise — an  enormous  body  closed  up  the  opening!  Joe, 
who  followed  Dick,  drew  him  back  with  him. 

"We  are  shut  in!" 

"  It  is  impossible — what  do  you  say " 

But  Dick  did  not  finish  his  sentence.  A  terrible  roaring 
gave  him  to  understand  with  what  new  enemy  he  had  to  do. 

"  Another  lion !  "  cried  Joe. 

"No,  a  lioness — ah,  wait  a  minute,  you  beast!"  said 
Dick,  quickly  reloading  his  carbine. 

He  fired  a  moment  after,  but  the  animal  had  disappeared. 
"  Come  along,"  cried  he. 

"  No,  no,  Mr,  Dick,  you  have  not  killed  her — she  is 
crouching  close  here,  and  she  will  spring  at  the  first  who 
approaches,  and  he  will  be  lost." 

"  But  what  can  you  do  ?  We  must  get  out.  And  Sam- 
uel is  waiting  for  us." 

"  Let  us  *  draw  '  her.  Take  my  gun  and  give  me  your 
carbine." 


324  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  What  is  your  plan  ?  " 

"  You  shall  see." 

Joe  took  off  his  jacket,  and  placing  it  upon  the  end  of 
his  gun,  held  it  as  a  bait  above  the  opening.  The  furious 
beast  sprang  down.  Kennedy  waited  her  appearance  and 
gave  her  a  bullet  in  the  shoulder.  The  lioness  roared  and 
rolled  down  the  steps,  upsetting  Joe.  He  was  already 
fancying  the  enormous  claws  of  the  animal  upon  him,  when 
a  second  shot  was  heard,  and  Doctor  Ferguson  appeared  at 
the  entrance,  his  rifle,  still  smoking,  in  his  hand.  Joe 
quickly  got  upon  his  feet,  jumped  over  the  carcass,  and 
handed  his  master  the  bottle  of  water.  To  carry  it  to  his 
lips  and  half  empty  it  was  for  Ferguson  the  work  of  an 
instant,  and  the  three  travelers  thanked  Heaven,  from  the 
bottom  of  their  hearts,  for  having  so  miraculously  pre- 
served them  from  a  terrible  death. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   HURRICANE 

The  evening  was  beautiful,  and  was  passed  by  our  trav- 
elers under  the  grateful  shade  of  the  mimosas,  after  an 
excellent  repast,  in  which  tea  and  grog  were  not  spared. 

Kennedy  had  searched  the  little  island  in  every  direction ; 
he  had  scoured  the  bushes,  and  the  travelers  were  the  only 
occupants  of  this  terrestial  paradise.  They  stretched 
themselves  on  the  ground  beneath  their  rugs,  and  enjoyed 
a  quiet  night's  rest,  which  brought  them  forgetfulness  of 
all  their  troubles. 

Next  day,  the  7th  of  May,  the  sun  shone  brilliantly,  but 
his  rays  were  unable  to  penetrate  the  thick  curtains  of 
shade.  They  had  provisions  in  plenty,  and  the  doctor  de- 
termined to  remain  at  that  place  until  a  favorable  wind 
rose. 

Joe  had  got  out  his  portable  kitchen,  and  devoted  him- 
self to  a  series  of  culinary  combinations,  while  he  made  use 
of  the  water  with  careless  prodigality. 

"  What  a  strange  succession  of  disappointment  and 
pleasure !  "  cried  Kennedy.  "  All  this  abundance  after  the 
privations  we  endured;  luxury  succeeding  to  despair. 
Ah!  I  was  very  nearly  going  mad! " 


THE  HURRICANE  325 


€( 


My  dear  Dick,"  said  the  doctor,  "had  it  not  been  for 
Joe,  you  would  not  be  sitting  there  holding  forth  upon  the 
mutability  of  human  affairs." 

"  My  brave  friend,"  said  Dick,  extending  his  hand  to 
Joe. 

"  Oh,  do  not  mention  it,"  replied  Joe.  "  You  would  do 
as  much  for  me  again,  Mr.  Dick;  but  I  trust  the  oppor- 
tunity to  render  me  a  simialr  service  will  not  arise." 

"  Ours  is  a  poor  nature,"  said  Ferguson,  "  to  allow  itself 
to  be  overcome  by  so  little." 

"By  so  little  water  you  mean,  sir.  That  element  is 
very  necessary  to  life." 

"  Doubtless,  Joe,  and  people  deprived  of  food  can  exist 
longer  than  those  deprived  of  water." 

"  I  can  quite  believe  it.  Moreover,  if  necessary,  one 
can  eat  anything,  even  one's  fellow-creatures,  although  that 
would  be  a  repast  likely  to  last  for  a  long  time." 

"  Savages  don't  find  it  so,  nevertheless,"  said  Kennedy. 
"  That  is  because  they  are  savages,  and  accustomed  to  eat 
uncooked  meat,  but  that  is  to  me  a  disgusting  habit." 

"It  is  very  distasteful,  certainly,"  replied  the  doctor; 
"  in  fact,  no  one  credits  the  accounts  of  the  first  African 
explorers,  who  have  related  that  many  tribes  live  on  raw 
meat,  and  refused  generally  to  admit  the  fact.  A  singular 
adventure  happened  to  James  Bruce  under  these  circum- 
stances." 

"  Tell  us  what  it  was,  sir,  we  have  plenty  of  time,"  said 
Joe,  casting  himself  lazily  upon  the  green  grass. 

"  Willingly,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  James  Bruce  was  a 
Scotchman,  a  native  of  Stirling,  and  who,  in  1768-72, 
traversed  Abyssinia  as  far  as  Lake  Tyana,  in  his  search  for 
the  sources  of  the  Nile.  He  then  returned  to  England, 
where  he  published  his  travels  in  1790  or  thereabouts. 
His  statements  were  received  with  incredulity  (an  incredu- 
lity doubtless  also  in  reserve  for  us).  The  habits  of  the 
Abyssinians  appeared  so  very  different  from  the  British 
usages  and  customs,  that  no  one  would  credit  the  accounts. 
Amongst  other  details  James  Bruce  had  stated  that  the 
tribes  of  eastern  Africa  were  in  the  habit  of  eating  raw 
meat.  This  statement  raised  a  regular  outcry  against  him. 
He  might  talk  as  he  liked,  they  did  not  see  it  at  all! 
Bruce  was  a  very  brave  but  a  very  quick-tempered  man. 


326  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

These  insinuations  and  doubts  worried  him  very  much. 
One  day  in  a  drawing-room  in  Edinburgh,  a  Scotchman 
repeated  in  Bruce's  presence  the  subject  of  the  daily  jokes; 
and  as  to  the  uncooked  meat,  he  did  not  beHeve  it  was 
either  possible  or  true.  Bruce  made  no  remark.  He  went 
out  of  the  room  and  shortly  afterwards  returned  with  a 
raw  beefsteak,  salted  and  peppered  after  the  African 
manner. 

"  *  Sir,'  said  he  to  the  Scot,  *  in  throwing  doubt  upon 
what  I  have  declared  to  be  true,  you  have  gravely  insulted 
me,  and  in  disbelieving  the  possibility  of  the  occurrence, 
you  have  made  a  great  mistake.  Now,  to  prove  it,  you 
are  going  to  eat  this  raw  steak,  or  give  me  satisfaction!' 
The  Scot  was  a  coward,  and  he  ate  the  §teak  with  many 
grimaces.  Then,  with  great  coolness,  Bruce  added :  *  Sup- 
posing, even,  that  the  thing  is  not  true,  sir,  you  will  hardly 
in  future  maintain  that  it  is  impossible ! '  " 

"  A  capital  retort,"  said  Joe.  "  If  the  Scot  got  indi- 
gestion, it  was  no  more  than  he  deserved;  and  if,  when  we 
return  to  England,  anyone  cast  doubts  on  our  journey " 

''Well,  Joe,  what  will  you  do?" 

"  I  will  make  the  skeptics  eat  the  fragments  of  the  *  Vic- 
toria,' without  salt  or  pepper !  " 

All  laughed  at  Joe's  determination.  So  the  day  wore 
on  in  pleasant  chat;  with  strength,  hope  returned — with 
hope,  boldness.  The  past  was  effaced  by  the  future  with 
providential  rapidity.  Joe  did  not  wish  to  leave  this  de- 
lightful asylum.  It  was  the  country  of  his  dreams;  he 
felt  at  home  here,  he  obliged  his  master  to  take  the  exact 
bearings,  and  he  wrote  it  with  much  ceremony  in  his  note- 
book, 15°  43'  longitude,  8°  32'  latitude.  Kennedy  only 
regretted  his  inability  to  hunt  or  shoot  in  that  miniature 
forest;  in  his  eyes  the  place  only  wanted  a  few  wild  beasts, 
to  be  perfectly  charming. 

"  Well,  my  dear  Dick,  you  have  a  very  bad  memory. 
How  about  that  lion  and  lioness?"  said  the  doctor. 

"  That's  nothing,"  replied  Dick,  with  a  true  hunter's 
contempt  for  what  he  had  killed.  "  But,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  we  may  suppose  their  presence  in  this  oasis  is  indi- 
cating our  approach  to  more  fertile  regions." 

"  By  no  means  a  certain  proof,  Dick;  these  animals,  im- 
pelled by  hunger  or  thirst,  often  travel  immense  distances. 


THE  HURRICANE  32; 

During  the  approaching  night  we  must  watch  with  re- 
doubled vigilance,  and  light  fires." 

"In  this  heat!"  cried  Joe.  "However,  if  necessary,  it 
must  be  done.  But  it  is  a  great  pity  to  burn  this  pretty 
wood,  which  has  been  so  welcome  to  us !  " 

"  We  will  take  great  care  not  to  set  it  on  fire,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  so  that  other  people  may  find  in  it  a  refuge  in  the 
midst  of  the  desert." 

"  It  shall  be  taken  care  of.  But,  sir,  do  you  think  this 
oasis  is  known  to  exist?  " 

"  Certainly.  It  is  a  halting-place  for  the  caravans  which 
frequent  the  center  of  Africa,  and  their  visit  might  not  be 
acceptable  to  you,  Joe." 

"  Are  those  horrible  Nyam-Nyams  here  then  ?  " 

"  Without  doubt  that  is  the  general  name  of  all  these 
people;  and  under  the  same  climate  the  same  race  have 
like  customs." 

"Pooh!"  said  Joe;  "after  all,  it  is  very  natural.  If 
savages  possessed  the  tastes  of  gentlemen  where  would  be 
the  difference?  For  example,  look  at  these  brave  people 
who  would  not  have  to  be  asked  to  swallow  the  beefsteak 
of  the  Scotchman — or  even  the  Scot  himself." 

With  this  rational  remark,  Joe  proceeded  to  get  the 
wood  piles  ready  for  the  night,  making  them  as  small  as 
possible.  These  precautions  were  happily  unnecessary, 
and  each  one  in  turn  enjoyed  a  good  night's  rest. 

Next  day  the  weather  was  unchanged — it  remained  ob- 
stinately fine.  The  balloon  would  be  motionless  until  a 
breeze  arose  to  move  it.  The  doctor  began  to  feel  uneasy 
once  more.  If  the  journey  became  thus  extended  the  pro- 
visions would  not  hold  out.  After  having  survived  the 
want  of  water,  were  they  to  be  reduced  to  die  of  hunger? 

But  he  felt  reassured  when  he  perceived  a  decided  fall  of 
the  mercury  in  the  barometer ;  there  were  evident  symptoms 
of  a  change.  He  determined,  therefore,  to  prepare  for 
departure  and  profit  by  the  very  first  opportunity.  The 
supply  tank  and  the  water  tank  were  both  filled. 

Ferguson  then  set  about  the  re-establishment  of  the 
equilibrium  of  the  balloon,  and  Joe  was  obliged  to  sacri- 
fice a  quantity  of  the  precious  mineral  he  possessed.  With 
renewed  health,  ambition  reasserted  itself.  He  made  more 
excuses  than  before  ere  he  obeyed  his  master,  but  the  latter 


328  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

pointed  out  how  impossible  it  was  to  raise  such  a  weight. 
It  was  a  choice  between  water  and  ore.  Joe  hesitated  no 
longer,  and  cast  away  upon  the  sand  a  quantity  of  his 
beloved  pebbles. 

"  They  will  serve  for  those  who  follow  us,"  he  said. 
"  They  will  be  very  much  astonished  to  find  a  fortune  in 
such  a  place." 

"  Suppose,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  some  learned  traveler 
should  meet  with  these  specimens  ?  " 

*'  No  doubt  he  would  be  very  much  surprised,  my  dear 
Dick,  and  would  equally  publish  his  surprise.  Some  day 
we  shall  hear  of  a  wonderful  deposit  of  auriferous  quartz 
in  the  midst  of  the  sandy  desert  of  Africa." 

"  And  Joe  will  have  been  the  cause." 

The  idea  of  mystifying  some  learned  professor  some- 
what consoled  this  brave  lad,  and  he  smiled. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  the  doctor  watched  in 
vain  for  a  change  in  the  sky — the  heat  became  greater,  and 
without  the  shade  of  the  oasis  would  have  been  intolerable. 
The  thermometer  in  the  sun  marked  149°.  A  regular  rain 
of  fiery  rays  traversed  the  air.  This  was  the  greatest  heat 
they  had  yet  noted. 

Towards  evening  Joe  prepared  the  watch-fires,  and  dur- 
ing the  vigils  of  the  doctor  and  Kennedy  nothing  particular 
occurred.  But  towards  three  in  the  morning — Joe  was 
watching — the  temperature  fell  suddenly,  the  sky  became 
obscured',  and  the  darkness  increased.  "  Get  up !  "  cried 
Joe,  waking  his  companions ;  "  get  up — the  wind  is  com- 
ing!" 

"  At  last !  "   cried  the  doctor,   looking  up  at   the   sky. 

"  It  is  a  regular  storm !  To  the  balloon — to  the  *  Vic- 
toria!'" 

They  were  only  just  in  time.  The  "  Victoria "  was 
bending  beneath  the  force  of  the  storm,  and  was  dragging 
the  car  across  the  sand.  Had  any  part  of  the  ballast  been 
out  of  her  the  balloon  would  have  sailed  away,  and  then  all 
hope  of  regaining  her  would  have  been  lost. 

But  Joe,  quick  as  ever,  ran  as  hard  as  he  could  and 
stopped  the  car,  while  the  balloon  beat  along  the  sand,  at 
the  risk  of  being  torn  to  pieces.  The  doctor  took  his  usual 
place,  lighted  up  the  blow-pipe,  and  threw  out  the  excess 
weight. 


THE  HURRICANE  329 

The  travelers  took  a  last  look  at  the  trees  of  the  oasis, 
which  were  bending  with  the  force  of  the  wind,  and  soon, 
running  before  the  east  wind  at  about  200  feet  above  the 
ground,  they  disappeared  into  the  darkness  of  the  night. 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

MOUNT  ATLANTIKA 

From  the  moment  of  departure  our  travelers  went  at  a 
tremendous  pace — they  longed  to  quit  this  desert,  which 
had  nearly  proved  so  fatal.  Towards  nine  o'clock  some 
appearance  of  vegetation  was  perceived — herbs  floating, 
as  it  were,  upon  the  sea  of  sand,  and  announcing,  as  to 
Christopher  Columbus,  the  approach  of  land — green  blades 
pushed  themselves  up  timidly  between  the  stones  which 
were  themselves  the  rocks  in  this  ocean. 

A  low-lying  chain  of  hills  appeared  upon  the  horizon; 
their  profile,  dwarfed  by  the  haze,  was  rather  indistinct, 
but  the  monotony  was  over.  The  doctor  joyously  saluted 
this  new  region,  and,  like  a  sailor,  he  was  on  the  point  of 
exclaiming,  "  Land !  land !  " 

An  hour  later  the  continent  was  extended  before  his 
gaze — still  wild,  but  less  flat,  less  bare,  for  some  trees  rose 
against  the  gray  sky. 

'*  We  are,  then,  in  a  civilized  country  at  last ! "  said  the 
Scot. 

"  Civilized,  Mr.  Dick?  that  is  your  way  of  looking  at  it; 
we  can  see  no  inhabitants  yet." 

"  We  shall  soon,"  replied  Ferguson,  *'  at  the  rate  we  are 
going." 

"  Shall  we  always  be  among  negroes,  Mr.  Samuel  ?  " 

"  Always,  Joe,  until  we  arrive  amongst  Arabs." 

"Arabs,  sir;  real  live  Arabs,  with  camels?" 

"  No,  without  the  camels ;  these  animals  are  scarce,  not 
to  say  unknown,  in  these  districts;  we  must  go  some  de- 
grees farther  north  to  meet  them." 

"  That  is  unfortunate." 

"Why,  Joe?" 

"  Because,  if  the  wind  shifted,  we  might  make  them 
help  us!" 

"How?" 


330  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Sir,  it  is  an  idea  that  has  come  into  my  head.  We 
could  yoke  them  to  the  car,  and  be  dragged  by  them.  What 
do  you  think  of  it?  " 

"  My  poor  Joe,  this  idea  has  been  started  before.  It 
has  been  exploded  by  a  very  excellent  French  writer — in  a 
romance,  it  is  true.  Travelers  harness  camels  to  their 
balloon;  they  come  in  contact  with  a  lion,  who  eats  the 
camels,  swallows  the  harness,  and  does  the  dragging  instead 
of  the  camels — and  so  on.  You  see  that  all  this  is  imagina- 
tion, and  has  nothing  in  common  with  our  system  of  loco- 
motion." 

Joe,  who  was  somewhat  humiliated  at  the  thought  that 
his  notion  had  been  already  made  use  of,  began  to  think  of 
some  animal  who  could  devour  a  lion,  but,  finding  none,  he 
set  about  examining  the  country  again.  A  lake  of  moder- 
ate extent  was  now  in  sight,  with  an  amphitheater  of  hills, 
which  had  not  yet  attained  the  dignity  of  mountains. 
Here  numerous  fertile  valleys  were  stretched  out,  and 
boasted  an  inextricable  variety  of  trees. 

"  The  country  is  splendid,"  said  the  doctor. 

"Look  at  those  animals;  men  cannot  be  far  distant," 
said  Joe. 

"  Ah !  what  magnificent  elephants,"  said  Kennedy.  "  Is 
there  no  chance  of  a  little  shooting?  " 

"  How  on  earth  are  we  to  stop,  my  dear  Dick,  with  a 
current  of  this  velocity.  No,  you  must  taste  a  little  of  the 
torture  of  Tantalus.     You  shall  have  amends  by  and  by." 

There  was  something  to  excite  the  hunter's  imagination. 
Dick's  breast  bounded  and  his  hands  mechanically  gripped 
his  "  Purdey." 

The  fauna  of  the  country  equaled  the  flora.  The  wild 
oxen  disported  in  the  thick  grass,  in  which  they  were  en- 
tirely concealed;  elephants,  gray,  black,  and  yellow,  of 
enormous  size,  passed  like  a  hurricane  through  the  forest, 
crashing,  biting,  destroying,  as  they  went,  and  making  their 
progress  by  devastation.  On  the  wooded  slope  of  the  hills, 
cascades  and  streams  ran  down  towards  the  north.  There 
the  hippopotami  bathed  with  much  noise;  and  the  man- 
atees, twelve  feet  in  length,  vvith  fish-like  bodies,  dis- 
ported themselves  on  the  banks,  raising  towards  the  sky 
their  rounded  breasts  distended  with  milk. 

It  was  a  rare  menagerie  in  a  wonderful  conservatory, 


MOUNT  ATLANTIKA  331 

where  birds  without  number,  of  a  thousand  different  hues, 
presented  varied  changes  of  color  as  they  flew  amongst  the 
arborescent  plants. 

At  this  prodigality  of  nature  the  doctor  was  reminded  of 
the  superb  kingdom  of  Adamosa.  "We  are  now  drawing 
near  the  traces  of  modern  discovery,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
caught  up  the  missing  trace  of  the  travelers;  It  Is  by  a 
happy  fatality,  my  friends,  that  we  are  enabled  to  connect 
the  labors  of  Captains  Burton  and  Speke  with  the  explora- 
tions of  Doctor  Barth.  We  quitted  England  to  find  a 
Hamburgher,  and  we  shall  soon  reach  the  extreme  point 
attained  by  that  adventurous  professor." 

*'  It  appears  to  me,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  between  the 
two  discoveries  there  Is  a  vast  extent  of  country,  if  one 
may  judge  from  the  distance  we  have  traveled." 

"  It  is  easy  to  calculate ;  take  the  map,  and  see  what  Is 
the  longitude  of  the  southern  point  of  Lake  Ukereone  at- 
tained by  Speke." 

"  Close  upon  the  37th  degree." 

"  And  the  town  of  Yola,  which  we  shall  see  to-night, 
and  to  which  Barth  penetrated — how  Is  It  situated  ?  " 
"  On  the  1 2th  degree  of  longitude  nearly." 
"  That  makes  it  twenty-five  degrees,  which,  at  sixty  miles 
each,  is  1,500  miles." 

"  A  nice  journey,"  said  Joe,  "  for  people  who  walk." 
"  That  will  nevertheless  be  accomplished.  Livingstone 
and  Moffat  are  always  advancing  towards  the  interior;  the 
Nyassa,  which  they  have  discovered,  is  not  very  far  distant 
from  Lake  Tanganyika,  found  by  Burton;  before  the  end 
of  the  century  these  immense  tracts  will  be  explored. 
But,"  added  the  doctor,  as  he  consulted  the  compass,  "  I  re- 
gret that  the  wind  is  carrying  us  so  much  towards  the  west; 
I  would  have  preferred  to  go  northward." 

After  twelve  hours'  progress  the  "  Victoria  "  arrived  at 
the  boundary  of  Nigritia.  The  first  inhabitants  of  this 
territory,  the  Chouan  Arabs,  were  feeding  their  horned 
flocks.  The  vast  summits  of  Mount  Atlantika  appeared 
above  the  horizon,  mountains  which  no  European  foot  had 
ever  trodden,  and  whose  altitude  is  estimated  at  7,800  feet. 
Their  western  slopes  determine  the  direction  of  the  streams 
of  this  part  of  Africa  to  the  ocean.  They  are  the  "  Moun- 
tains of  the  Moon  "  of  this  region. 


332  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

At  length  a  true  river  greeted  the  eyes  of  the  travelers, 
and  by  the  immense  ant-hills  which  bordered  it,  the  doctor 
recognized  the  Benoue,  one  of  the  great  tributaries  of  the 
Niger,  that  which  the  natives  have  named  the  "  Source  of 
Waters." 

"  This  river,"  said  the  doctor  to  his  companions,  "  will 
one  day  become  the  natural  channel  of  communication  with 
the  interior  of  Nigritia.  Under  the  command  of  one  of 
our  brave  captains,  the  Pleiad  advanced  as  far  as  the  town 
of    Yola.    You  see  that  we  are  in  a  known  country." 

Numerous  slaves  were  employed  in  tilling  the  fields, 
cultivating  the  "  sorgho,"  a  species  of  millet  which  forms 
the  staple  food  of  the  community.  The  most  stupid  as- 
tonishment was  apparent  as  the  "  Victoria  "  passed  like  a 
meteor.  In  the  evening  our  travelers  stopped  at  forty 
miles  from  Yola,  and  in  front,  but  at  a  distance,  the  two 
sharp  peaks  of  the  Mount  Mendif  raised  themselves. 

The  doctor  threw  out  the  grapnels,  and  they  caught  in 
the  summit  of  a  high  tree,  but  the  high  wind  bent  the 
"  Victoria "  down  almost  horizontally,  and  rendered  the 
position  of  the  car  very  dangerous. 

Ferguson  did  not  close  his  eyes  all  night,  he  was  fre- 
quently on  the  point  of  cutting  the  cable  and  flying  before 
the  hurricane.  At  last  the  storm  lulled  and  the  oscillations 
of  the  balloon  were  no  longer  alarming. 

Next  day  the  wind  was  more  moderate,  but  it  carried 
the  travelers  beyond  the  town  of  Yola,  which,  newly  built 
by  the  Foulannes,  had  excited  the  curiosity  of  Ferguson. 
Nevertheless  he  was  obliged  to  resign  himself  to  be  carried 
to  the  north,  and  even  a  little  to  the  east. 

Kennedy  suggested  a  halt  for  hunting  purposes.  Joe 
pretended  that  the  want  of  fresh  meat  was  beginning  to  be 
felt;  but  the  savage  customs  of  the  country,  the  attitude  of 
the  population,  some  shots  sent  in  the  direction  of  the 
"  Victoria,"  all  determined  the  doctor  to  continue  his  jour- 
ney. They  then  crossed  a  region — a  theater  of  massacres 
and  burnings,  where  fighting  is  incessant,  and  in  which  the 
sultans  rule  their  kingdoms  in  the  midst  of  the  most  hor- 
rible slaughter. 

Numerous  and  populous  villages,  composed  of  long  huts, 
appeared  between  splendid  pastures,  of  which  the  thick 
grass  was  mixed  with  violet  blossoms;  the  huts  resembled 


MOUNT  ATLANTIKA  332, 

vast  hives,  and  were  screened  behind  bristhng  pahsades. 
The  wilder  slopes  of  the  hills  recalled  to  Kennedy's  mind 
the  glens  of  the  Scottish  Highlands,  and  he  frequently  made 
the  remark. 

Despite  the  doctor's  efforts  the  balloon  was  drifted  to- 
wards the  northeast,  in  the  direction  of  Mount  Mendif, 
which  was  hidden  in  the  clouds.  The  high  summits  of 
these  mountains  separate  the  basin  of  the  Niger  from  that 
of  Lake  Tchad. 

Bagale,  with  its  eighteen  villages  hung  upon  its  flanks, 
soon  appeared,  like  a  group  of  children  round  their  mother ; 
a  magnificent  group  for  those  who,  being  overhead,  could 
take  the  whole  in  at  once.  At  three  o'clock  the  "  Victoria" 
was  opposite  Mount  Mendif.  They  could  not  avoid  it,  so 
were  obliged  to  go  over  it.  The  doctor,  by  means  of  a 
temperature  of  180°,  gave  to  the  balloon  a  new  ascensional 
force  of  nearly  1,600  lbs.  It  rose  more  than  8,000  feet. 
This  was  the  greatest  elevation  obtained  during  the  jour- 
ney, and  the  temperature  was  so  low  that  the  doctor  and 
his  companions  were  glad  to  make  use  of  their  rugs. 

Ferguson  hastened  to  descend,  for  the  envelope  of  the 
balloon  threatened  disruption.  He  had  time,  however,  to 
verify  the  volcanic  origin  of  the  mountain,  whose  extinct 
craters  were  only  deep  chasms.  Great  agglomerations  of 
the  dung  of  birds  gave  the  sides  of  the  Mendif  the  appear- 
ance of  calcareous  rocks,  and  there  was  sufficient  there  to 
manure  the  whole  United  Kingdom. 

At  five  o'clock  the  "  Victoria,"  impelled  by  the  south 
wind,  sailed  slowly  along  the  slopes  of  the  mountain,  and 
halted  in  a  large  open  space  at  a  distance  from  any  habita- 
tion. So  soon  as  they  touched  the  ground,  precautions  were 
taken  to  secure  the  balloon  firmly,  and  Kennedy,  gun  in 
hand,  started  in  the  plain.  He  was  not  long  before  he 
returned  with  half-a-dozen  wild  ducks  and  a  sort  of  snipe, 
which  Joe  served  up  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  The  meal 
was  a  pleasant  one,  and  the  night  passed  without  any  dis- 
turbance. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  INCENDIARY   PIGEONS 

Next  day,  the  nth  of  May,  the  "Victoria"  resumed 
her  adventurous  course;  the  travelers  had  in  her  the  same 
confidence  as  a  sailor  feels  in  his  ship. 

Fearful  hurricanes,  tropical  heat,  dangerous  ascents,  even 
more  dangerous  descents,  were  experienced  by  the  "  Vic- 
toria," and  happily  overcome  always  and  through  every- 
thing. One  might  say  that  Ferguson  guided  her  by  a  ges- 
ture; and  without  knowing  the  point  of  arrival,  the  doctor 
had  no  fear  respecting  the  issue  of  the  journey.  But  in  this 
land  of  barbarians  and  fanatics,  prudence  obliged  him  to 
take  the  greatest  precautions,  and  he  enjoined  his  com- 
panions to  keep  their  eyes  open  ready  for  anything  at  any 
time. 

The  wind  carried  them  a  little  more  to  the  north,  and 
towards  nine  o'clock  they  came  in  sight  of  the  large  town 
of  Mosfeia,  built  upon  an  eminence  shut  in  between  two 
high  mountains.  It  was  situated  in  an  impregnable  posi- 
tion ;  a  road  between  a  marsh  and  a  wood  was  the  only  ap- 
proach to  it. 

At  this  moment  a  sheik,  accompanied  by  a  mounted 
escort,  clad  in  bright-colored  robes,  preceded  by  trumpeters 
and  runners  who  cut  down  the  opposing  branches,  was 
about  to  make  his  entry  into  the  city. 

The  doctor  descended  so  as  to  see  the  natives  a  little 
nearer,  but  scarcely  had  the  balloon  come  into  their  range 
of  vision  when  signs  of  terror  began  to  manifest  themselves, 
and  they  scampered  away  as  fast  as  their  legs  or  their 
horses  could  carry  them.  The  sheik  alone  did  not  move,  he 
cocked  his  long  musket  and  waited  proudly. 

The  doctor  approached  within  150  paces,  and,  in  his 
most  pleasant  tone,  addressed  to  him  the  Arab  welcome. 

But  at  these  words  falling  from  the  sky,  the  sheik  dis- 
mounted, and  prostrated  himself  in  the  dust  of  the  road; 
and  the  doctor  was  not  able  to  prevent  this  act  of  wor- 
ship. 

"  It  is  impossible,"  said  he,  "  but  that  these  people  should 
take  us  for  supernatural  beings,  since,  on  the  arrival  of 
the  first  Europeans  amongst  them,  they  believed  them  to 
be  a  divine  race.  And  when  this  sheik  speaks  of  this 
encounter  in  future  he  will  not  fail  to  elaborate  the  details 

334 


THE  INCENDIARY  PIGEONS  335 

with  all  the  resources  of  an  Arab's  imagination.  Judge 
then  what  their  legends  will  be  respecting  us  some  of  these 
days." 

"  That  will  be  rather  disappointing  from  the  civilization 
point  of  view,"  replied  Kennedy.  "  It  would  be  better  to 
pass  for  simple  men,  who  would  give  these  negroes  an  ex- 
cellent idea  of  European  power." 

"Agreed,  my  dear  Dick;  but  what  could  we  do  here? 
You  might  explain  at  length  to  the  wise  men  the  mechanism 
of  the  balloon,  which  they  would  not  understand,  and  would 
always  suppose  it  to  be  a  supernatural  appearance." 

"  Sir,"  said  Joe,  "  you  have  spoken  of  the  first  Euro- 
peans who  explored  this  country;  who  were  they,  if  you 
please  ?  " 

"  My  dear  boy,  we  are  precisely  on  the  track  of  Major 
Denham.  It  was  at  this  very  Mosfeia  that  he  was  received 
by  the  Sultan  of  Mandara;  he  had  left  the  Bornou.  He 
accompanied  the  sheik  in  an  expedition  against  the  Fella- 
tabs;  he  assisted  at  the  attack  on  the  town,  which  resisted 
bravely  with  its  arrows  against  the  Arabs'  bullets,  and  put 
the  troops  of  the  sheik  to  flight;  all  this  was  but  a  pretext 
for  murder,  pillage,  and  raids.  The  major  was  completely 
stripped,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  horse,  beneath  whose 
belly  he  crept,  and  which  enabled  him  to  escape  his  con- 
querors by  its  headlong  gallop,  he  would  never  have  re- 
entered Kouka,  the  capital  of  Bornou." 

"  But  who  was  this  Major  Denham?  " 

"A  brave  Englishman,  who  from  1822  to  1824,  com- 
manded an  expedition  into  the  Bornou,  in  company  with 
Captain  Clapper  ton  and  Doctor  Oudney.  They  left  Tripoli 
in  the  month  of  March,  arrived  at  Mourzouk,  the  capital 
of  Fezzan;  and,  following  the  route  which  Doctor  Barth 
traversed  afterwards  on  his  return  to  Europe,  they  arrived 
on  the  1 6th  of  February,  1823,  in  Bornou,  in  the  Mandara, 
and  at  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake.  During  this  time,  on 
the  15th  December,  1823,  Captain  Clapperton  and  Doctor 
Oudney  penetrated  into  the  Soudan  as  far  as  Sackatou, 
and  Oudney  died  of  fatigue  and  privation  at  Murmur." 

"This  part  of  Africa,"  said  Kennedy,  "  has  then  paid  a 
large  tribute  of  victims  to  science." 

"Yes!  this  region  is  indeed  fatal.  We  are  tending  di- 
rectly towards  the  kingdom  of   Barghimi,   which  Vogel 


336  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

crossed  in  1856  to  pentrate  into  the  Wadai,  where  he  dis- 
appeared. This  young  man  of  twenty-three  was  despatched 
to  co-operate  in  the  explorations  of  Doctor  Barth ;  they  met 
on  the  1st  December,  1854,  then  Vogel  commenced  to  ex- 
plore the  country;  about  1856  he  announced  in  his  last 
letters  his  intention  to  examine  the  kingdom  of  Wadai",  into 
which  no  European  had  ever  previously  penetrated.  It 
seems  he  reached  Wara,  the  capital,  where,  according  to 
some  accounts,  he  was  made  prisoner;  according  to  others 
he  was  put  to  death,  for  having  attempted  to  ascend  a 
sacred  mountain  in  the  neighborhood.  But  we  must  not 
lightly  accept  the  report  of  the  death  of  travelers,  for  that 
would  obviate  any  search  for  them;  thus,  how  often  was 
the  death  of  Doctor  Barth  officially  announced,  a  circum- 
stance which  naturally  caused  him  great  irritation.  It  was 
therefore  very  possible  that  Vogel  had  been  kept  a  prisoner 
by  the  Sultan  of  Wada'i,  in  the  hope  to  obtain  ransom. 
Baron  Neimaus  set  out  for  Wadai,  but  he  died  at  Cairo  in 
1855.  We  know  now  that  M.  Heuglin,  with  the  expedition 
despatched  from  Leipsic,  followed  up  the  traces  of  Vogel. 
Thus  we  ought  to  be  soon  assured  of  the  fate  of  this  youth- 
ful and  interesting  traveler." 

Mosfeia  had  long  since  disappeared  on  the  horizon. 
Mandara  betrayed  its  astonishing  fertility  to  the  eyes  of  the 
travelers,  with  its  acacia  forests,  the  red-flowering  locust 
plant,  and  the  herbaceous  plants  in  the  cotton  and  indigo 
fields.  The  Shari,  which  flows  into  Lake  Tchad  eighty 
miles  farther  on,  here  rolled  its  impetuous  course  along. 

The  doctor  followed  with  his  companions  the  maps  of 
Barth.  "  You  see,"  said  he,  "  that  the  works  of  this  savant 
are  wonderfully  precise.  We  are  traveling  right  over  the 
district  of  Loggoum,  and  perhaps  even  upon  Kernak,  its 
capital.  There  poor  Toole  died,  when  scarcely  twenty- 
two.  He  was  a  young  Englishman,  an  ensign  in  the  80th 
foot,  who  had  for  some  weeks  been  with  Major  Denham 
in  Africa,  and  he  there  quickly  found  his  death.  Ah !  they 
may  well  call  this  country  the  '  Cemetery  of  Europeans,'  " 

Some  canoes  about  fifty  feet  long  were  descending  the 
Shari.  The  "Victoria,"  1,000  feet  above  them,  attracted 
little  attention  from  the  natives,  until  the  wind,  which 
had  hitherto  been  blowing  strongly,  showed  signs  of  di- 
minishing. 
V.  I  Verne 


THE  INCENDIARY  PIGEONS  337 

"Are  we  again  going  to  be  becalmed,  I  wonder?"  said 
the  doctor. 

"  Well,  sir,  we  have  neither  the  want  of  water  nor  the 
desert  to  fear  now." 

"  No,  but  the  population  is  still  very  formidable." 

"  There  "  said  Joe,  eagerly,  "  is  something  that  resembles 
a  town." 

"  It  is  Kernak.  The  last  breath  of  wind  will  carry  us 
thither,  and  if  it  suits  us,  we  can  take  an  exact  plan  of 
the  place." 

"  Can  we  not  go  nearer  to  it  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  Nothing  is  more  easy,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor.  "  We 
are  exactly  over  the  town.  Allow  me  to  turn  the  tap  of 
the  blow-pipe  a  little,  and  we  shall  soon  descend." 

In  half  an  hour  the  "  Victoria  "  was  floating  motionless, 
about  200  feet  from  the  ground. 

"  We  are  here  nearer  to  Kernak,"  said  the  doctor,  "  than 
a  man  would  be  to  London,  if  he  were  perched  on  the  dome 
of  St.  Paul's.  So  we  can  observe  at  our  ease  all  that  is 
going  on." 

"  What  is  that  sound  of  mallets  that  we  hear  on  all 
sides?" 

Joe  watched  attentively,  and  perceived  that  the  noise 
was  produced  by  the  number  of  weavers,  who  were  beating 
their  cloths  stretched  upon  the  large  trunks  of  trees. 

The  capital  of  Loggoum  was  viewed  in  its  entirety,  like 
a  plan  unrolled  at  their  feet.  It  was  a  veritable  town,  with 
lines  of  houses  and  good-sized  streets.  In  the  center  of  a 
large  square  a  slave-market  was  held,  and  there  was  a  large 
concourse  of  purchasers;  for  the  Mandara  women,  with 
their  little  hands  and  feet,  are  very  much  sought  after,  and 
are  sold  for  high  prices. 

At  sight  of  the  "  Victoria,"  the  oft-produced  effect  was 
again  repeated — first  cries,  then  profound  stupefaction; 
business  was  abandoned,  work  suspended,  the  noise  was 
hushed.  The  travelers  remained  immovable,  and  did  not 
lose  a  detail  of  this  populous  city;  they  even  descended  to  a 
distance  of  sixty  feet  from  the  ground. 

Then  the  governor  of  Loggoum  came  out  of  his  house, 
displaying  his  green  flag,  and  accompanied  by  his  musicians, 
who  blew  enthusiastically  with  the  full  force  of  their  lungs 
into  their  hoarse  buffalo  horns.    The  crowd  assembled  round 


338  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

him.  Doctor  Ferguson  wished  to  make  himself  heard,  but 
he  could  not  succeed. 

The  people,  who  had  high  foreheads,  curly  hair,  and 
almost  aquiline  noses,  appeared  proud  and  intelligent,  but 
the  presence  of  the  "  Victoria  "  disturbed  them  mightily. 
The  travelers  perceived  horsemen  galloping  in  all  directions ; 
soon  it  became  evident  that  the  soldiers  were  being  assem- 
bled to  give  battle  to  this  extraordinary  enemy.  Joe  had 
lavishly  displayed  handkerchiefs  of  various  colors,  but  with- 
out any  result. 

However,  the  sheik,  surrounded  by  his  court,  proclaimed 
silence,  and  made  a  speech  in  a  mixed  language  of  Arabic 
and  Baghimi,  of  which  the  doctor  did  not  understand  a 
word.  He  comprehended,  however,  by  the  universal  lan- 
guage of  signs,  that  he  was  particularly  requested  to  depart; 
he  asked  for  nothing  better,  but  in  default  of  wind  it  had 
become  impossible.  His  immobility  angered  the  governor, 
and  his  courtiers  begged  him  to  give  loud  orders  for  the 
departure  of  the  monster. 

They  were  curious  people,  these  courtiers,  with  their  five 
or  six  motley  shirts  upon  their  bodies ;  they  were  enormously 
stout,  and  some  appeared  to  wear  artificial  stomachs.  The 
doctor  astonished  his  companions  by  telling  them  that  this 
was  the  mode  of  paying  court  to  the  Sultan.  The  rotundity 
of  the  abdomen  indicated  the  ambition  of  the  people. 
These  fat  men  gesticulated  and  shouted,  and  one  more  than 
all  the  rest,  who  ought  to  have  been  prime  minister  if  his 
size  met  with  any  favor.  The  crowd  of  negroes  joined 
their  shouting  to  that  of  the  courtiers,  repeating  their  ges- 
ticulations like  so  many  monkeys,  and  which  resulted  in  a 
curious  and  instantaneous  effect  in  the  simultaneous  move- 
ment of  10,000  arms. 

To  these  modes  of  intimidation,  which  appeared  to  be 
insufficient,  they  added  others  more  formidable.  Soldiers, 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows,  were  drawn  up  in  order  of 
battle;  but  the  "Victoria"  had  already  been  inflated,  and 
moved  quietly  out  of  range.  The  governor  then  seized  a 
musket  and  leveled  it  at  the  balloon,  but  Kennedy  was  on 
the  watch,  and  with  a  ball  from  his  carbine,  shattered  the 
musket  in  the  sheik's  grasp. 

At  this  unlooked-for  blow  there  was  a  general  retreat; 
each  one  took  shelter  in  his  house  as  quickly  as  possible, 


THE  INCENDIARY  PIGEONS  339 

and  during  the  rest  of  the  day  the  town  remained  absolutely 
deserted. 

Night  arrived;  the  wind  had  dropped.  It  was  resolved 
to  pass  the  night  at  300  feet  from  the  ground.  Not  a  gleam 
shone  through  the  darkness — a  deathlike  silence  reigned 
around. 

The  doctor  redoubled  his  watchfulness;  this  calm  be- 
tokened some  treachery. 

And  Ferguson  was  right  to  watch  as  he  did.  Towards 
midnight  all  the  town  appeared  on  fire;  hundreds  of  fiery 
streaks  crossed  each  other  like  rockets,  forming  a  network 
of  flame. 

**  That  is  very  curious,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  But,  God  bless  me !  "  cried  Kennedy,  "  It  appears  that 
the  fire  is  ascending  and  approaching  us." 

In  fact,  at  the  sound  of  frightful  cries,  and  amid  the 
discharges  of  muskets,  this  mass  of  fire  rose  up  towards 
the  "  Victoria."  Joe  made  ready  to  throw  out  the  ballast. 
Ferguson  did  not  stop  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  phe- 
nomenon. 

Thousands  of  pigeons,  their  tails  furnished  with  squibs, 
had  been  let  loose  against  the  "  Victoria."  Terrified,  they 
ascended,  marking  their  flight  with  fiery  zigzags.  Kennedy 
was  about  to  discharge  all  the  firearms  into  the  midst  of  the 
crowd  of  birds,  but  what  could  he  accomplish  against  such 
an  innumerable  host  ?  Already  the  pigeons  had  surrounded 
the  car  and  the  balloon,  of  which  the  sides,  reflecting  the 
light,  appeared  wrapped  in  flames. 

The  doctor  did  not  hesitate,  and  throwing  over  a  large 
lump  of  quartz,  he  rose  above  the  reach  of  these  dangerous 
birds.  For  two  hours  they  could  perceive  them  flying  back- 
wards and  forwards  in  the  darkness ;  by  degrees  their  num- 
bers diminished  and  finally  they  disappeared. 

"  Now  we  can  sleep  in  peace,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Rather  a  happy  thought  of  the  savages,"  said  Joe. 

"  Yes ;  they  very  commonly  employ  pigeons  to  burn  the 
thatches  of  houses  in  the  villages,  but  this  time  the  village 
flew  up  higher  than  their  winged  incendiaries." 

"  A  balloon  has  decidedly  no  enemies  to  fear,"  said 
Kennedy. 

"  Yes,  indeed  it  has,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"Who,  then?" 


340  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  The  imprudent  people  whom  it  carries  in  its  car ;  so, 
my  friends,  vigilance  above  everything — vigilance  always !  " 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

A  LOST  BULLET 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  during  Joe's  watch, 
the  town  appeared  to  move  beneath  them,  and  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  sailed  away.    Kennedy  and  the  doctor  awoke. 

The  latter  consulted  the  compass,  and  perceived  with 
satisfaction  that  the  wind  was  bearing  them  to  the  nor- 
nor-east. 

"  We  are  getting  on  capitally,"  said  he.  "  All  goes  well, 
and  we  shall  come  in  sight  of  Lake  Tchad  this  very  day," 

"Is  it  a  large  expanse  of  water?"  asked  Kennedy. 

"  A  very  considerable  size,  my  dear  Dick ;  at  its  greatest 
length  and  breadth  it  measures  120  miles." 

"  It  will  be  a  little  change  for  us  to  sail  over  such  a 
sheet  of  water." 

"  Well,  it  seems  to  me  that  we  have  nothing  to  grumble 
at;  the  country  is  very  varied,  and  we  are  enjoying  it  under 
the  most  pleasant  conditions." 

"  No  doubt,  Samuel.  Except  the  privations  of  the  desert 
we  have  not  encountered  any  serious  danger." 

"  Certainly,  our  tight  little  '  Victoria  '  has  behaved  won- 
derfully. To-day  is  the  12th  of  May;  we  started  on  the 
1 8th  of  April,  so  we  have  been  traveling  twenty-five  days. 
Ten  days  more  and  we  shall  reach  the  end  of  our  journey." 

"Where?" 

"  I  do  not  know ;  but  what  does  that  matter  ?  " 

"  You  are  right,  Samuel ;  let  us  trust  in  Providence  to 
take  care  of  us  and  keep  us  in  good  health,  as  we  are.  We 
do  not  look  much  like  people  who  have  been  traversing  the 
most  pestilential  country  in  the  world." 

"  We  have  been  able  to  keep  up  so  high,  that  is  the 
reason  we  have  been  so  well." 

"Hurrah  for  aerial  traveling!"  cried  Joe.  "Here  we 
are  after  twenty-five  days,  in  good  health,  well  fed,  well 
rested;  indeed,  rather  too  well  rested,  for  my  limbs  are 
getting  stiff,  and  I  should  not  be  sorry  to  take  the  stiffness 
off  with  a  thirty  mile  walk." 


A  LOST  BULLET  341 

"You  shall  indulge  yourself  in  that  way  in  the  streets 
of  London,  Joe.  But  to  wind  up,  we  are  a  party  of  three 
like  Denham,  Clapperton,  and  Overweg — like  Earth,  Rich- 
ardson, and  Vogel,  and  happier  than  our  predecessors. 
All  three  of  us  are  together  still.  But  it  is  very  important 
not  to  separate.  If,  during  the  absence  of  one  of  us  on 
the  ground,  the  *  Victoria '  were  obliged  to  ascend  in  order 
to  avoid  some  sudden  and  unforseen  danger,  who  knows 
whether  we  might  come  together  again.  So  I  tell  you 
frankly,  Kennedy,  I  do  not  wish  you  to  go  far  away  under 
the  pretext  of  hunting." 

"  You  must,  nevertheless,  allow  me,  my  dear  Samuel,  to 
overcome  this  fancy;  there  is  no  great  harm  in  renewing 
our  stock  of  provisions.  Besides,  before  our  departure 
from  home,  you  put  before  me  a  series  of  wonderful  hunt- 
ing exploits,  and,  up  to  this  time,  I  have  done  very  little 
in  the  way  of  Anderson  or  Gumming." 

"  Surely,  my  dear  Dick,  your  memory  fails  you;  or  your 
modesty  stands  in  the  way  of  your  prowess.  It  appears 
to  me  that,  without  reckoning  smaller  game,  you  have  al- 
ready an  antelope,  an  elephant,  and  two  lions  on  your  con- 
science." 

"  Well,  what  is  that  for  an  African  sportsman,  who  can 
have  a  shot  at  every  created  animal?  Look  here!  look  at 
this  drove  of  giraffes ! " 

"  Those  giraffes !  "  cried  Joe.  "  Why,  they  are  only  as 
big  as  my  fist!  " 

"Because  we  are  1,000  feet  above  them,"  replied  Ken- 
nedy; "but  if  you  were  nearer,  you  would  see  they  were 
three  times  as  high  as  you;  and  there  are  some  ostriches 
going  like  the  wind !  " 

"Ostriches!"  said  Joe;  "they  are  fowls,  and  nothing 
more !  " 

"  Cannot  we  get  nearer  to  them,  Samuel?  " 

"  Yes,  we  can  approach  them,  but  cannot  land.  And 
what  good,  after  all.  is  there  in  shooting  animals  which  are 
of  no  use  to  us?  If  the  question  were  the  destruction  of  a 
lion,  a  tiger-cat,  or  a  hyena,  I  could  understand  it,  there 
would  be  always  a  dangerous  beast  the  less ;  but  to  destroy 
an  antelope,  or  a  gazelle,  without  any  profit  but  to  satisfy 
the  vanity  of  the  sportsman,  is  not  worth  the  trouble. 
However,  my  friend,  we  will  keep  at  about  100  feet  above 


342  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  ground,  and  If  you  can  perceive  any  wild  animal  you 
can  send  a  bullet  to  his  heart." 

The  "  Victoria  "  descended  by  degrees,  but  still  kept  up 
at  a  safe  distance.  In  this  savage  and  thickly-populated 
country  it  was  necessary  to  be  on  one's  guard  against  un- 
expected danger. 

The  travelers  followed  the  course  of  the  Shari.  The 
pleasant  banks  of  this  river  were  hidden  beneath  the  shade 
of  the  variously  tinted  trees;  the  bind-weed  and  creeping 
plants  wound  in  all  directions,  and  produced  curious  com- 
binations of  colors.  The  crocodiles  sported  in  the  sun 
and  plunged  into  the  water  with  the  activity  of  the  lizard, 
and  in  their  play  they  crossed  numerous  green  islets,  which 
rose  amid  the  stream. 

Thus,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  luxurious  and  verdant  nat- 
ural scenery,  the  district  of  Maffatay  was  passed.  To- 
wards nine  in  the  morning  Ferguson  and  his  companions 
at  length  reached  the  southern  coast  of  Lake  Tchad. 
There  was  the  Caspian  of  Africa,  whose  existence  was  for 
a  long  time  regarded  as  fabulous.  This  inland  sea,  to 
which  only  the  expeditions  of  Denham  and  Barth  had 
hitherto  penetrated,  lay  before  them. 

The  doctor  attempted  to  decide  its  actual  form,  already 
very  different  from  its  shape  in  1847;  in  fact,  the  map  of 
this  lake  it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  with  the  lake  itself. 
It  is  surrounded  by  miry  marshes  which  are  almost  impass- 
able, and  in  which  Barth  nearly  perished.  From  year  to 
year  these  marshes,  covered  to  a  height  of  fifteen  feet  with 
reeds  and  papyrus,  become  absorbed  into  the  lake,  and 
often  the  towns  established  upon  its  banks  are  half  sub- 
merged, as  happened  at  Ngornou,  in  1856,  and  now  alli- 
gators and  hippopotomi  swim  about  in  the  very  spots 
where  the  habitations  of  the  natives  once  stood. 

The  sun  poured  down  his  rays  upon  this  calm  sheet  of 
water,  and  in  the  north,  sky  and  water  seemed  to  unite 
upon  the  horizon. 

The  doctor  was  desirous  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the 
water,  which  was  for  a  long  time  believed  to  be  saline; 
there  was  no  danger  in  approaching  the  surface  of  the 
lake,  and  the  car  skimmed  over  it  like  a  bird,  at  five  feet 
distance. 

Joe  plunged  a  bottle  into  it  and  raised  it  half  filled;  the 


A  LOST  BULLET  343 

water  was  not  very  drinkable,  and  possessed  a  flavor  of 
natron. 

While  the  doctor  was  noting  down  the  result  of  his 
experience,  the  report  of  a  gun  resounded  beside  him. 
Kennedy  had  not  been  able  to  resist  sending  a  bullet  at 
a  monstrous  hippopotamus,  which  quietly  disappeared  at 
the  sound  of  the  discharge,  and  the  conical  bullet  did  not 
appear  to  have  caused  him  the  least  inconvenience. 

"  You  had  better  have  harpooned  him,"  said  Joe. 

"How?" 

"  With  one  of  our  grapnels.  That  would  have  been  a 
good  hook  for  such  an  animal." 

"  By  Jove ! "  cried  Kennedy,  "  Joe  has  really  got  an 
idea." 

'*  Which  I  trust  you  will  not  put  into  execution,"  re- 
plied the  doctor.  "  The  animal  would  quickly  hurry  us 
where  we  should  be  helpless." 

"  Particularly  now  that  you  have  decided  upon  the  qual- 
ity of  the  water  of  Lake  Tchad." 

"  Is  that  fish  good  to  eat,  Mr.  Ferguson  ?  " 

"  Your  fish,  Joe,  is  a  mammiferous  animal  of  the  pachy- 
derm species;  his  flesh  is  excellent,  they  say,  and  is  art 
article  of  commerce  amongst  the  lake  tribes." 

"  Then  I  regret  that  Mr.  Dick's  bullet  was  not  more 
effectual." 

"  This  animal  is  only  vulnerable  in  the  belly  and  be- 
tween the  thighs;  the  bullet  did  not  even  break  the  skin. 
But,  if  the  ground  be  suitable,  we  shall  halt,  and  at  the 
southern  end  of  the  lake  there  Kennedy  will  find  a  full 
menagerie,  and  he  can  indemnify  himself  at  his  ease." 

"  Well,  I  hope  that  Mr.  Dick  will  do  a  little  hippopota- 
mus hunting.  I  want  to  taste  this  amphibious  animal.  It 
is  no  use  coming  into  the  center  of  Africa  if  we  are  to  live 
upon  snipe  and  partridges  just  as  if  we  were  in  England!  " 


CHAPTER    XXXn 

THE   FALL 

After  arriving:  at  Lake  Tchad,  the  "  Victoria  **  met  si 
current  which  carried  it  more  to  the  west,  some  clouds 
tempered  the  heat,  and  occasionally  a  breeze  was  felt  over 


344  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

this  vast  expanse  of  water.  But,  towards  one  o'clock,  the 
balloon  having  slanted  across  this  part  of  the  lake,  ad- 
vanced once  more  inland  for  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight 
miles. 

The  doctor,  who  was  first  annoyed  at  this  direction,  did 
not  complain  when  he  perceived  the  town  of  Kouka,  the 
celebrated  capital  of  Bornou.  He  could  obtain  a  bird's- 
eye  view  of  it,  surrounded  by  walls  of  white  clay;  some 
mosques  of  considerable  size  towered  above  the  Arab 
houses. 

In  the  courts  of  the  houses,  and  in  the  public  squares 
were  palm  trees,  and  caoutchouc  plants,  crowned  by  a  dome 
of  foliage  lOO  feet  in  extent.  Joe  remarked  that  these 
immense  umbrellas  were  suited  to  the  heat  of  the  sun's 
rays,  and  he  drew  very  comfortable  conclusions  from  this 
dispensation  of  Providence. 

Kouka  is  really  composed  of  two  distinct  towns,  sepa- 
rated by  the  "  dendal,"  a  wide  boulevard  of  great  length, 
crowded  by  foot-passengers  and  horsemen.  Upon  one 
side  lay  the  aristocratic  quarter  of  the  town,  with  its  high 
and  airy  houses;  on  the  other  cowered  the  poorer  quarter, 
a  wretched  assemblage  of  low  conical  huts,  where  an  in- 
digent population  dragged  on  a  mere  existence — for  Kouka 
is  neither  commercial  nor  industrial. 

Kennedy  found  some  resemblance  to  Edinburgh,  which 
was  built  on  a  plain,  with  its  two  perfectly  distinct  towns. 

But  the  travelers  had  scarcely  time  to  observe  all  these 
details,  when  a  contrary  wind,  with  the  changeableness 
which  characterizes  the  air-currents  in  Africa,  suddenly 
laid  hold  of  them  and  carried  the  balloon  forty  miles  across 
Lake  Tchad.  ? 

There  a  novel  sight  awaited  them;  they  were  able  to 
count  the  numerous  islets  in  the  lake,  inhabited  by  the 
Biddiomahs,  very  notorious  and  sanguinary  pirates,  and 
whose  vicinity  was  as  much  to  be  dreaded  as  that  of  the 
Touaregs  of  the  Sahara.  These  savages  bravely  prepared 
to  receive  the  "  Victoria "  with  showers  of  arrows  and 
stones;  but  the  balloon  had  soon  passed  their  isles,  over 
which  it  appeared  to  hover  like  a  gigantic  winged  beetle. 

At  this  moment  Joe,  who  was  gazing  at  the  horizon, 
said  to  Kennedy,  "  Faith,  Mr,  Dick,  you  are  always  dream- 
ing of  shooting.     Here  is  something  which  will  suit  you!  " 


♦the  fall  345 

"  What  is  it,  Joe?  " 

**  And  this  time  my  master  will  not  object  to  your  firing 
your  gun." 

"But  what  is  it?" 

**  Do  you  see  that  flock  of  large  birds  over  there,  which 
are  approaching  us  ?  " 

"  Birds  ?  "  said  the  doctor,  seizing  his  telescope. 

"I  see  them,"  cried  Kennedy.  "There  are  at  least  si 
dozen  of  them." 

"  Fourteen,  if  you  have  no  objection,"  said  Joe. 

"  Please  goodness,  they  are  sufficiently  mischievous  that 
the  tender-hearted  Samuel  may  not  object  to  my  shooting 
some." 

"  I  shall  not  say  a  word,"  said  Ferguson,  "  but  I  should 
very  much  prefer  to  see  them  at  a  greater  distance." 

"You  are  afraid  of  these  birds,  then?  "  said  Joe. 

"They  are  condors,  Joe,  and  of  the  largest  size,  and 
if  they  do  attack  us " 

"  Well,  we  shall  defend  ourselves,  Samuel.  We  have 
an  arsenal  ready  to  receive  them.  I  do  not  suppose  that 
these  creatures  are  very  formidable." 

"  Who  can  tell  ?  "  replied  the  doctor. 

Ten  minutes  afterwards  the  flock  was  within  range. 
These  fourteen  birds  filled  the  air  with  their  hoarse  cries. 
They  flew  at  the  "  Victoria  "  more  irritated  than  alarmed 
by  its  appearance. 

"  How  they  scream,"  said  Joe;  "  what  a  fearful  row! " 

"They  probably  regard  us  as  intruders  upon  their  do- 
main, and  think  that  we  have  no  business  to  fly  like  them- 
selves." 

"  Truly,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  they  are  sufficiently  for- 
midable and  quite  as  dangerous  as  if  they  were  armed  with 
Purdey's  guns." 

"They  have  no  need  of  them,"  replied  Ferguson,  who 
had  suddenly  become  very  serious. 

The  condors  flew  round  in  wide  circles,  and  their  orbits 
gradually  got  smaller  and  smaller.  They  flashed  through 
the  sky  with  fantastic  rapidity,  sometimes  darting  dowrt 
with  the  utmost  velocity,  and  breaking  their  line  with  sharp 
angular  flights. 

The  doctor,  feeling  nervous,  resolved  to  ascend,  in  order 
to  escape   from   such  a  dangerous  neighborhood;  he   in- 


346  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

flated  the  balloon,  which  mounted  at  once.  But  the  fal- 
cons mounted  with  him,  but  little  disposed  to  let  him 
escape. 

"  They  appear  determined  to  have  their  own  way,"  said 
Kennedy,  taking  up  a  carbine.  The  birds  continued  to  ap- 
proach; and  more  than  one  came  within  fifty  paces  of  the 
car,  as  if  to  brave  Kennedy's  carbine.  "  I  have  a  great 
mind  to  fire  up  at  them,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  No,  Dick ;  do  not,  do  not  make  them  angry  without 
reason.     It  would  only  incite  them  to  attack  us." 

"  But  I  can  soon  polish  them  off !  " 

"  You  are  mistaken,  Dick." 

"  We  have  a  bullet  for  each  of  them?  " 

"  And  if  they  attack  the  upper  part  of  the  balloon  how 
will  you  reach  them?  You  imagine  that  you  are  dealing 
with  lions  on  land,  or  with  sharks  in  the  open  sea.  For 
aeronauts,  the  situation  is  very  critical." 

"Are  you  serious,  Samuel?" 

"  Quite  serious,  Dick." 

**  Let  us  wait,  then." 

"  Yes ;  be  ready  in  the  event  of  attack ;  but  do  not  fire 
without  my  orders." 

The  birds  then  collected  at  a  little  distance;  the  travelers 
could  distinguish  their  bare  throats  extended  with  the  ef- 
forts to  scream;  their  gristly  heads  adorned  with  violet 
crests,  which  bristled  with  anger.  They  were  of  large  size, 
their  bodies  being  more  than  three  feet  long,  and  the  under 
part  of  their  white  wings  glistened  in  the  sunlight.  They 
have  been  termed  air  "  sharks,"  to  which  fish  they  bore 
some  resemblance. 

"  They  are  following  us,"  said  the  doctor,  as  they  rose 
with  the  balloon.  "  We  have  ascended  well,  and  they  can 
fly  higher  than  we  can  go." 

"  Well,  what  is  to  be  done  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

The  doctor  did  not  answer. 

"Listen,  Samuel,"  said  Kennedy;  "there  are  fourteen 
of  these  birds,  and  we  have  seventeen  shots  at  our  disposal, 
if  we  fire  them  all.  Are  there  no  means  by  which  we  can 
destroy  or  disperse  them.  I  will  account  for  some  of  them, 
I  promise  you," 

"  I  don't  question  your  skill,  Dick,  and  I  willingly  look 
upon  those  birds  as  dead  which  fly  across  your  range;  but 


THE  FALL  347 

I  repeat,  if  they  attack  the  upper  part  of  the  balloon  you 
will  not  be  able  to  see  them,  they  will  tear  the  silk  which 
keeps  us  up,  and  we  are  3,000  feet  above  the  ground!" 

At  this  moment  one  of  the  fiercest  of  the  birds  swooped 
right  down  upon  the  "Victoria,"  with  beak  and  claws  ex- 
tended, ready  to  bite  and  rend. 

"  Fire !  "  roared  the  doctor. 

Scarcely  had  the  word  passed  his  lips,  when  the  bird, 
shot  dead,  went  tumbling  into  space. 

Kennedy  seized  one  of  the  double-abrrelled  guns;  Joe 
shouldered  the  other. 

Frightened  by  the  report,  the  falcons  drew  back  for  an 
instant,  but  they  returned  to  the  charge  almost  immediately 
with  increased  fury.  Kennedy,  with  one  bullet  cut  the 
head  clean  off  the  nearest  bird;  Joe  broke  the  wing  of 
another. 

"  Only  eleven  more,"  said  he. 

But  now  the  birds  changed  their  tactics  and  simulta- 
neously rose  above  the  "  Victoria."  Kennedy  looked  at 
Ferguson. 

The  latter,  notwithstanding  his  energy  and  fortitude, 
turned  pale.  There  was  a  moment  of  terrified  silence. 
Then  a  rending  noise  was  heard,  as  when  silk  is  torn,  and 
the  car  sank  beneath  the  feet  of  the  three  travelers. 

"  We  are  lost ! "  cried  Ferguson,  as  he  gazed  at  the 
barometer,  which  was  rapidly  rising.     Then  he  added: 

"  Throw  out  the  ballast ;  out  with  it !  " 

In  a  few  seconds  all  the  quartz  had  disappeared. 

"  We  are  falling  still.  Empty  the  water-tanks,  do  you 
hear.     We  are  falling  into  the  lake !  " 

Joe  obeyed.  The  doctor  looked  down.  The  lake  ap- 
peared to  be  coming  up  to  meet  him,  objects  became  more 
distinct,  the  car  was  not  200  feet  from  the  surface  of  Lake 
Tchad. 

"  The  provisions !  "  cried  the  doctor,  and  the  case  which 
contained  them  was  hurled  into  space. 

The  descent  became  less  rapid,  but  the  unhappy  trav- 
elers still  were  falling. 

"  Throw  out  more ! "  cried  the  doctor  for  the  last  time. 

"  There  is  nothing  left,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"Yes,"  said  Joe,  laconically;  and,  with  a  rapid  farewell 
gesture,  he  threw  himself  from  the  balloon. 


348  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Joe,  Joe !  "  cried  the  terrified  doctor. 

But  Joe  could  no  longer  hear  him.  The  "Victoria," 
lightened  now,  resumed  her  ascent,  and  reached  a  height 
of  1,000  feet;  and  the  wind  whistling  through  the  torn  silk 
covering  of  the  balloon,  carried  them  towards  the  northern 
side  of  the  lake. 

"  He  is  lost !  "  cried  Kennedy,  despairingly. 

"  Lost  to  save  us ! "  replied  Ferguson. 

And  these  brave  men  felt  big  tears  rolling  down  their 
cheeks.  They  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  car,  in  the  vain 
hope  to  distinguish  some  trace  of  the  unfortunate  Joe;  but 
they  were  too  far  away. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  now?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  We  must  descend  to  earth  as  soon  as  we  can,  Dick, 
and  then  wait." 

After  a  run  of  sixty  miles,  the  "Victoria"  descended 
on  a  deserted  spot  at  the  north  end  of  the  lake.  The  grap- 
nels caught  in  a  low  tree,  and  Kennedy  fastened  them  se- 
curely. 

Night  came  on,  but  neither  Ferguson  nor  Kennedy  had 
a  moment's  sleep. 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 
Kennedy's  sporting 

The  next  morning,  the  13th  of  may,  the  first  thing  the 
travelers  did  was  to  search  the  part  of  the  lake  border 
where  they  were  situated.  It  was  a  species  of  island  com- 
posed of  firm  land  in  the  midst  of  an  extensive  marsh. 
Around  this  piece  of  terra  firma  large  reeds  grew,  as  high 
as  average  European  trees,  and  extended  as  far  as  eye 
could  reach. 

These  trackless  swamps  rendered  the  position  of  the 
"  Victoria  "  secure ;  it  was  only  necessary  to  explore  the 
lake  shore;  the  immense  sheet  of  water  expanded  towards 
the  east,  and  nothing  was  visible  on  the  horizon — neither 
islet  nor  continent  was  to  be  seen. 

The  two  friends  had  not  yet  ventured  to  speak  of  their 
unfortunate  companion.  Kennedy  was  the  first  to  im- 
part his  surmises  to  the  doctor. 

"  Perhaps  Joe  is  not  lost,  after  all,"  said  he.     "  He  is  a 


KENNEDY'S  SPORTING  349 

sharp  lad  and  a  first-rate  swimmer.  He  had  no  difficulty 
in  swimming  across  the  Firth  of  Fourth  at  Edinburgh. 
,We  shall  see  him  again,  depend  upon  it;  I  cannot  say  how 
or  when,  but  do  not  let  us  neglect  anything  that  might  give 
him  an  opportunity  to  rejoin  us." 

"  Heaven  grant  it  may  be  as  you  suggest ! "  replied  the 
doctor,  in  a  voice  choked  with  emotion.  "  We  will  do 
everything  in  the  world  to  find  our  friend.  Let  us  put 
things  to  rights  at  once;  and  first  of  all  let  us  take  off  the 
exterior  covering  of  the  balloon,  which  will  relieve  us  of 
650  lbs.  weight,  and  is  surely  worth  the  trouble  to  get  rid 
of." 

The  doctor  and  Kennedy  set  to  work,  they  overcame 
the  greatest  difficulties.  It  was  necessary  to  tear  the  tough 
taffetas  away  bit  by  bit,  and  to  cut  it  into  strips  to  pull  it 
through  the  meshes  of  the  network.  The  rent  made  by  the 
birds'  beaks  was  many  feet  in  length. 

This  operation  occupied  at  least  four  hours;  but  at 
length  the  interior  balloon,  entirely  freed,  did  not  appear 
to  have  suffered  at  all.  The  "  Victoria  "  was  now  dimin- 
ished by  a  fifth.  This  difference  was  sufficient  to  astonish 
Kennedy. 

"  Will  it  carry  us  ?  "  he  asked. 

"We  need  fear  nothing  on  that  score,"  said  the  doctor; 
"  I  will  re-establish  the  equilibrium,  and  if  our  poor  Joe 
return,  we  shall  be  able  to  resume  our  route  as  usual." 

"At  the  moment  he  fell,  Samuel,  if  my  recollection 
serve  me,  we  were  not  far  from  an  island." 

"  I  remember ;  but  this  isle,  like  all  those  in  Lake  Tchad, 
is  no  doubt  inhabited  by  a  race  of  pirates  and  murderers. 
These  savages  have  been  witnesses  of  our  accident,  and  if 
Joe  has  fallen  into  their  hands,  unless  superstition  protects 
him,  what  will  become  of  him?  " 

"  He  is  a  man  of  resource,  I  tell  you;  I  have  great  con- 
fidence in  his  pluck  and  intelligence." 

"  I  hope  he  will  prove  so.  Now,  Dick,  you  can  go  and 
shoot  in  the  neighborhood,  without  going  too  far,  mind. 
It  is  absolutely  necessary  for  us  to  replenish  our  larder,  of 
which  the  greater  part  has  been  sacrificed." 

"  All  right,  Samuel,  I  shall  not  be  long  away." 

Kennedy  took  a  double-barrelled  gun,  and  advanced  into 
the  giant  reeds  towards  a  coppice  at  no  great  distance,  and 


350  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

soon  the  reports  of  his  gun  in  quick  succession  told  the  doc- 
tor that  the  sportsman  was  successful. 

Meantime,  the  doctor  employed  himself  in  overhauling 
the  remaining  contents  of  the  car,  and  in  establishing  the 
equilibrium  of  the  second  balloon.  There  remained  thirty- 
pounds  of  pemmican,  some  tea  and  coffee,  about  a  gallon 
and  a  half  of  brand}^  an  empty  water-tank;  all  the  salted 
meat  had  disappeared. 

The  doctor  was  aware  that,  by  the  loss  of  the  hydrogen 
from  the  first  balloon,  his  ascensional  force  was  reduced 
to  about  900  lbs.  He  must,  therefore,  base  his  calculations 
for  the  establishment  of  the  equilibrium  on  this  difference. 
The  new  "  Victoria's  "  "  content  "  was  67,000  feet  of  gas; 
the  dilating  apparatus  appeared  to  be  in  good  order,  neither 
the  pile  nor  the  serpentine  had  received  any  injury. 

The  ascensional  force  of  the  new  balloon  was  then  about 
3,000  lbs.,  and  adding  the  weight  of  the  apparatus,  the 
travelers,  and  the  water,  the  car  and  accessories,  and  put- 
ting on  board  fifty  gallons  of  water,  and  100  lbs  of  fresh 
meat,  the  doctor  arrived  at  a  total  of  2,830  lbs.  He  could 
therefore,  carry  170  lbs.  of  ballast  for  contingencies,  and 
the  balloon  would  then  be  in  equilibrium  with  the  atmos- 
pheric air. 

His  dispositions  were  made  accordingly;  he  replaced 
the  weight  of  Joe  by  ballast.  The  entire  day  was  occupied 
in  these  preparations,  and  were  finished  when  Kennedy 
returned.  He  had  had  good  sport.  He  brought  a  quan- 
tity of  geese,  wild  ducks,  snipe,  teal,  and  plover.  He  em- 
ployed himself  in  preparing  the  game  and  smoking  it. 
Each  bird  was  spitted  through  with  a  small  stick,  and  sus- 
pended above  a  fire  of  green  wood.  When  the  operation 
appeared  complete,  the  whole  were  carefully  packed  within 
the  car. 

Next  day  the  sportsman  determined  to  complete  the 
stock  of  provisions. 

Evening  surprised  the  travelers  while  still  at  work. 

Their  supper  consisted  of  pemmican,  biscuits,  and  tea. 
Fatigue,  having  given  them  appetite,  ensured  them  sleep. 
Each  during  his  watch  peered  anxiously  into  the  darkness, 
sometimes  almost  fancying  they  heard  the  voice  of  Joe; 
but,  alas!  that  voice  they  so  desired  to  hear  was  far  away. 

At  daybreak  the  doctor  aroused  Kennedy. 


KENNEDY'S  SPORTING  351 

"  I  have  been  thinking,"  said  he,  "  what  we  must  do  to 
recover  our  companion." 

"  What  is  your  suggestion,  Samuel  ?  I  agree  to  every- 
thing.    Speak." 

"  First  of  all,  it  is  important  that  Joe  should  have  knowl- 
edge of  our  whereabouts." 

"  Certainly,  or  he  will  think  we  mean  to  leave  him  to 
his  fate." 

"He!  He  knows  us  too  well  to  think  that;  he  would 
never  think  of  such  a  thing;  but  he  must  be  told  where 
we  are." 

"How?" 

"  We  must  take  our  places  in  the  car  and  ascend  again." 

"  But  if  the  wind  carry  us  away?  " 

"Fortunately  it  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind.  Look, 
Dick;  the  wind  will  bring  us  back  again  over  the  lake,  and 
this,  which  would  have  been  annoying  yesterday,  is  to-day 
most  propitious.  We  must  therefore  direct  all  our  efforts 
to  maintain  ourselves  above  the  lake  all  day.  Joe  will  not 
fail  to  see  us  up  there,  where  he  will  be  anxiously  looking 
for  us.  Perhaps  he  will  be  able  to  tell  us  where 
he  is." 

"H  he  be  alone,  and  at  liberty,  he  will  certainly  do  so." 

"  And  if  he  be  a  prisoner,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  as  the 
natives  do  not  incarcerate  their  prisoners,  he  will  see  us, 
and  understand  the  object  of  our  maneuvers." 

"  But  if,  after  all,"  said  Kennedy,  "  for  we  must  be 
prepared  for  every  contingency,  if  he  has  left  no  trace, 
what  can  we  do?  " 

"  We  must  endeavor  to  regain  the  northern  side  of  the 
lake,  keeping  ourselves  in  view  as  much  as  possible.  There 
we  will  wait,  explore  the  banks,  search  the  edges  of  the 
lake,  which  Joe  would  certainly  endeavor  to  reach;  and  we 
will  not  leave  the  neighborhood  without  making  every  ef- 
fort to  find  him." 

"  Let  us  go,  then,"  said  Kennedy. 

The  doctor  took  the  exact  bearings  of  the  piece  of  dry 
ground  they  were  about  to  leave;  he  estimated  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  map  and  his  observations,  they  were  to  the 
north  of  Lake  Tchad,  between  the  town  of  Lari  and  the 
village  of  Ingernini,  both  of  which  had  been  visited  by 
Major  Denham.     Meantime  Kennedy  completed  the  pro- 


352  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

visioning  of  the  balloon.  In  many  places  he  perceived  the 
tracks  of  rhinoceros,  manatees,  and  hippopotomi,  but  he 
never  encountered  any  of  these  formidable  beasts. 

At  seven  in  the  morning,  and  not  v^ithout  great  difficulty, 
which  poor  Joe  would  have  made  light  of,  the  grapnel  was 
detached  from  the  tree.  The  gas  was  dilated,  and  the  new 
"  Victoria  "  ascended  200  feet  into  the  air.  After  some 
coquetting  with  the  wind,  it  fell  in  with  a  pretty  strong  cur- 
rent, and  sailed  over  the  lake,  and  was  soon  progressing 
at  twenty  miles  an  hour. 

The  doctor  steadily  m.alntained  an  elevation  of  between 
200  and  500  feet,  Kennedy  often  discharged  his  carbine. 
The  travelers  even  approached  imprudently  near  to  the  is- 
lands, examining  the  coppices,  the  brushwood,  the  bushes, 
and  every  shaded  place,  in  which  their  late  companion  could 
have  found  shelter,  then  descended  close  to  the  long  pi- 
rogues which  skimmed  over  the  lake.  The  fishermen  on 
their  approach  threw  themselves  into  the  water,  and  swam 
to  the  island  with  every  demonstration  of  terror. 

"  We  can  discover  nothing,"  said  Kennedy,  after  a  search 
of  two  hours. 

"Patience,  Dick;  let  us  not  be  discouraged,  we  cannot 
be  very  distant  from  the  scene  of  the  accident." 

At  eleven  o'clock  the  "  Victoria  "  had  made  ninety  miles; 
it  then  encountered  a  new  current,  which  carried  it  at  al- 
most right  angles  to  its  previous  course  for  sixty  miles  to- 
wards the  east.  It  hovered  over  a  large  and  thickly-inhab- 
ited island,  which  the  doctor  pronounced  to  be  Fanam,  the 
capital  of  the  Biddiomahs.  They  were  in  hopes  to  see  Joe 
rise  out  of  each  bush,  escaping  and  calling  to  them  for  as- 
sistance. If  free,  they  could  have  taken  him  up  without 
any  difficulty;  if  a  prisoner,  they  must  put  the  same  plan 
in  practice  to  rescue  him  as  they  had  for  the  missionary's 
release.  He  would  soon  have  rejoined  his  friends,  but 
nothing  appeared,  nothing  was  stirring.  They  were  begin- 
ning to  despair. 

At  half-past  two  the  "  Victoria  "  came  in  sight  of  Tan- 
galia,  a  village  situated  upon  the  eastern  side  of  the  Tchad, 
and  which  was  the  extreme  point  attained  by  Denham  in 
his  expedition. 

The  doctor  became  uneasy  at  this  persistent  direction  of 
the  wind.     He  felt  he  was  being  driven  towards  the  east, 

V.  I  V«rn« 


KENNEDY'S  SPORTING  353 

pushed  back  into  the  center  of  Africa,  towards  the  track- 
less deserts. 

"  We  must  halt,"  said  he,  "  and  come  down  to  the  earth; 
for  Joe's  sake,  before  everything,  we  must  return  above  the 
lake;  but  first  we  must  find  a  current  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection." 

For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  searched  at  different  alti- 
tudes. The  "Victoria"  always  drifted  over  the  land. 
But  fortunately,  at  1,000  feet,  a  very  violent  wind  carried 
them  to  the  northwest. 

It  was  scarcely  possible  that  Joe  had  remained  on  one 
of  the  islands,  else  he  would  have  found  some  means  to 
make  his  presence  known.  Perhaps  he  had  reached  terra 
firma.  Thus  the  doctor  reasoned  when  he  regained  the 
north  side  of  the  lake. 

As  to  fancy  Joe  drowned  was  ridiculous.  A  terrible 
idea  had  occurred  to  both  Kennedy  and  Ferguson,  viz., 
the  number  of  alligators  existing  in  these  places.  But 
neither  had  the  courage  to  give  vent  to  their  supposition. 
At  length  it  was  impossible  not  to  refer  to  the  ever-present 
thought,  and  the  doctor  said  boldly : 

"  Crocodiles  are  only  met  with  upon  the  banks  or  is- 
lands of  the  lake.  Joe  has  skill  enough  to  avoid  them; 
besides,  they  are  not  dangerous,  and  the  Africans  bathe 
fearlessly  and  with  impunity." 

Kennedy  did  not  reply;  he  preferred  silence  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  such  a  terrible  eventuality. 

The  doctor  perceived  the  town  of  Lari  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  The  inhabitants  were  gathering  their 
cotton  crops  before  their  huts  of  plaited  straw,  in  the  midst 
of  their  own  well-kept  enclosures.  This  assemblage  of 
fifty  houses  occupied  a  small  depression  in  the  valley,  which 
extended  between  the  bases  of  the  mountains.  The  vio- 
lence of  the  wind  carried  the  doctor  too  far,  but  it  again 
changed,  and  he  descended  at  the  exact  point  of  departure 
in  the  little  island  of  hard  ground  where  they  had  passed 
the  previous  night.  The  grapnel,  instead  of  being  fastened 
to  a  tree,  was  secured  to  the  reeds  mixed  with  the  thick 
mud  of  the  marsh,  which  gave  a  good  holding  ground. 
The  doctor  had  considerable  trouble  to  control  the  balloon, 
but  at  length  the  wind  fell  and  the  two  friends  kept  watch 
together,  almost  despairing. 


CHAPTER    XXXiy 

LOSS  OF  AN  ANCHOR 

At  3  A,  M.  the  wind  rose  to  a  hurricane,  and  blew  with 
such  violence  that  the  "  Victoria "  could  not  remain  at 
anchor  without  danger;  the  reeds  beat  upon  the  silk  and 
threatened  to  tear  it  in  pieces. 

"  We  must  be  off,  Dick,"  said  the  doctor.  "  We  cannot 
stay  here  under  these  circumstances." 

"But  Joe,  Samuel?" 

"I  shall  certainly  not  abandon  him;  and  if  the  storm 
carries  us  lOO  miles  to  the  north,  I  shall  return  here;  but 
at  present  we  are  endangering  the  safety  of  all." 

"Going  without  him,  then?"  said  the  Scot,  with  de- 
spairing tone. 

"  Do  you  not  believe  that  my  heart  is  as  heavy  as  your 
own,  and  that  I  am  only  yielding  to  dire  necessity  ?  " 

"  I  am  at  your  orders,"  replied  Kennedy.     "  Let  us  go." 

But  the  departure  involved  great  difficulties.  The  grap- 
nel, which  had  sunk  deeply,  resisted  all  their  efforts,  and 
the  balloon,  dragging  it,  fastened  it  still  tighter.  Kennedy 
could  not  disengage  it;  besides,  in  their  position,  such  an 
attempt,  if  successful,  would  have  been  very  dangerous,  for 
the  "  Victoria  "  might  have  taken  flight  before  Kennedy 
could  have  rejoined  her. 

The  doctor,  who  did  not  wish  to  run  such  a  risk,  made 
the  Scot  enter  the  car,  and  determined  to  cut  the  rope. 
The  "  Victoria  "  bounded  300  feet  into  the  air,  and  made 
directly  towards  the  north.  Ferguson  was  obliged  to  yield 
to  the  storm.  He  folded  his  arms  and  remained  absorbed 
in  his  own  sad  reflections.  After  some  minutes  he  turned 
towards  Kennedy,  who  was  equally  taciturn,  and  said,  "  We 
have  been  tempting  Providence,  perhaps.  It  scarcely 
seems  man's  province  to  undertake  such  a  journey." 
And  a  deep  sigh  escaped  him. 

"But  a  few  days  ago,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  we  were  con- 
gratulating ourselves  at  having  so  well  escaped  danger; 
we  were  shaking  hands  all  round." 

"  Poor  Joe,  what  an  excellent  disposition  he  possessed, 
arid  a  brave  and  honest  heart!  At  one  time  dazzled  by  his 
riches,  but  he  willingly  sacrificed  his  treasure.  He  is  now 
far  away  from  us,  and  the  wind  still  hurries  along  with 
irresistible  violence ! " 

354 


LOSS  OF  AN  ANCHOR  355 

"  Let  us  see,  Samuel ;  admitting  that  he  has  found 
refuge  among  the  lake  tribes,  cannot  he  do  as  other  travel- 
ers have  done — like  Denham  and  Barth  ?  They  came  home 
safely." 

"  My  dear  Dick,  Joe  does  not  know  a  word  of  the  lan- 
guage— he  is  alone  and  without  means.  The  travelers  of 
whom  you  speak  never  advanced  without  sending  the  chiefs 
numerous  presents  with  an  escort  armed  and  prepared  for 
these  expeditions.  And  even  then  they  did  not  escape 
hardships  and  sufferings  of  the  worst  kind.  What,  then, 
do  you  think,  can  have  become  of  our  unfortunate  compan- 
ion .^^  It  is  horrible  to  think  of,  and  this  is  one  of  the  great- 
est troubles  I  have  ever  had  to  deplore." 

"  But  we  shall  go  back  again,  Samuel  ?  " 

*'  We  shall,  of  course,  Dick.  We  will  abandon  the 
*  Victoria,'  if  it  be  necessary,  to  regain  Lake  Tchad  on 
foot,  and  communicate  with  the  Sultan  of  Bornou.  The 
Arabs  cannot  have  retained  a  bad  opinion  of  the  first  Euro- 
peans." 

"  I  will  follow  you,  Samuel,"  replied  Kennedy,  with 
energy;  "you  may  depend  upon  me.  We  will  rather  re- 
linquish the  object  of  our  journey — Joe  is  devoted  to  us — ^ 
we  will  sacrifice  ourselves  for  him." 

This  resolution  gave  fresh  courage  to  those  brave  men. 
They  felt  strong  in  the  same  purpose.  Ferguson  did  all  in 
his  power  to  drift  into  a  current  which  might  take  him  back 
to  the  Tchad,  but  that  was  then  impossible,  and  it  was 
impracticable  to  descend  upon  such  a  deserted  ground  and 
in  such  a  storm. 

Thus  the  "  Victoria  "  crossed  the  country  of  the  Tib- 
bons.  It  passed  over  Belad  and  Djerid,  a  thorny  desert, 
which  forms  the  boundary  of  the  Soudan,  and  reaches  to 
the  sandy  deserts  marked  by  the  long  track  of  caravans; 
the  last  line  of  vegetation  is  soon  mingled  with  the  sky  on 
the  southern  horizon,  not  far  from  the  principal  oases  of 
this  region,  whose  fifty  wells  are  shaded  by  most  magnifi- 
cent trees.  But  the  balloon  could  not  stop.  An  Arab  en- 
campment, with  their  striped  tents,  and  their  camels 
stretched  upon  the  sand,  gave  life  to  the  scene,  but  the 
"  Victoria  "  passed  away  like  a  meteor,  and  accomplished 
a  distance  of  sixty  miles  in  three  hours,  without  Ferguson 
having  any  command  over  this  headlong  flight. 


356  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 


o 


"We  cannot  stop,  we  cannot  descend,"  he  said;  "there 
is  not  a  tree  to  be  seen,  not  a  mound;  we  are  about  to  pass 
over  the  Sahara.     Surely  Heaven  is  against  us." 

He  spoke  thus  with  the  energy  of  despair,  when  he  per- 
ceived in  the  north  the  sands  of  the  desert  whirled  up  in 
the  midst  of  a  blinding  dust,  and  gyrating  under  the  in- 
fluence of  opposing  currents. 

In  the  midst  of  this  whirlwind — scattered,  and  broken, 
and  overturned — was  a  caravan,  which  was  disappearing 
in  this  avalanche  of  sand;  the  camels,  hurrying  hither  and 
thither,  uttered  lamentable  sounds — the  cries  and  shouts 
ascended  from  this  suffocating  sand-fog.  Sometimes  a 
striped  garment  would  display  its  bright  colors  in  the  chaos, 
and  the  roaring  of  the  tempest  added  to  this  scene  of  de- 
struction. 

The  sand  quickly  fell  into  dense  masses,  and  there, 
where  but  lately  stretched  a  level  plain,  was  now  a  mound, 
still  moving,  the  immense  tomb  of  the  buried  caravan. 

The  doctor  and  Kennedy  turned  pale  at  the  sight,  they 
could  not  manage  the  balloon,  which  turned  round  and 
round  in  the  contrary  currents,  and  would  not  obey  the  ex- 
pansion or  contraction  of  the  gas. 

Caught  in  these  eddies  of  air  the  "  Victoria  "  whirled 
about  giddily,  the  car  oscillated  fearfully,  the  instruments 
suspended  in  the  tent  were  shaken  almost  to  pieces,  the 
tubes  of  the  serpentine  bent  as  though  they  would  break. 
The  travelers  were  deafened,  and  they  were  obliged  to  hold 
tightly  to  the  cordage  to  keep  their  positions  during  the 
fury  of  the  storm.  Kennedy,  with  hair  disheveled,  sat 
still,  and  did  not  speak  a  word.  The  doctor  had  resumed 
his  old  courage  at  the  approach  of  danger,  and  no  trace  of 
his  emotion  was  now  apparent,  not  even  when,  after  a  last 
somersault,  the  "Victoria"  suddenly  was  left  in  an  unex- 
pected calm,  the  wind  from  the  north  seized  it  and  drove  it 
back  upon  the  course  it  had  been  taking  since  the  morning, 
and  at  an  equally  rapid  pace. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  cried  Kennedy. 

"  Where  Providence  wills,  my  dear  Dick.  I  was 
wrong  to  doubt  whatever  happens  is  for  the  best,  and  we 
are  now  returning  towards  the  places  we  never  hoped  to 
see  again." 

The  ground  so  flat,  so  level,  when  they  first  passed  over 


LOSS  OF  AN  ANCHOR  357 

it,  now  appeared  like  the  waves  after  a  storm;  a  series  of 
small  mounds  jotted  the  desert;  the  wind  blew  stiffly,  and 
the  "  Victoria  "  flew  into  space. 

The  direction  now  taken  by  the  balloon  was  slightly 
different  from  that  followed  in  the  morning;  so  at  about 
nine  o'clock,  instead  of  finding  themselves  on  the  borders 
of  Lake  Tchad,  they  saw  that  the  desert  extended  before 
them.     Kennedy  observed  this. 

"  It  does  not  much  matter,"  replied  the  doctor ;  "  the 
important  point  is  to  get  down  south;  we  shall  there  come 
upon  the  towns  of  Boarnou,  Woaddie,  or  Kouka,  and  I 
shall  not  hesitate  to  stop  there." 

"  If  you  are  satisfied,  I  am,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  but 
Heaven  grant  that  we  may  not  be  obliged  to  cross  the  des- 
ert, like  those  unfortunate  Arabs.  That  was  a  fearful 
sight." 

Dick  frequently  referred  to  this.  The  crossing  of  the 
desert  includes  all  the  dangers  of  the  ocean,  even  the 
chances  of  being  swallowed  up  in  its  depths,  and,  m.ore- 
over,  unbearable  fatigue  and  privations. 

"  It  appears  to  me,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  the  wind  is 
less  violent,  the  dust  is  less  thick,  the  sand-waves  are  less 
high,  and  the  horizon  is  clearing." 

"  So  much  the  better;  we  will  scan  it  carefully  with  our 
glasses,  and  no  point  shall  escape  us." 

"  I  will  take  that  duty,  Samuel,  and  when  the  first  tree 
appears  you  shall  be  told  at  once."  And  Kennedy,  tele- 
scope in  hand,  placed  himself  in  the  front  of  the  car. 


CHAPTER    XXXV 

THE  ISLE  OF  BIDDIOMAHS 

What  had  become  of  Joe  during  the  vain  search  made 
for  him  by  his  master? 

When  he  fell  into  the  lake  his  first  act,  after  rising  to 
the  surface,  was  to  cast  his  eyes  upwards ;  he  saw  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  already  above  the  water,  mounting  fast ;  little  by 
little  it  diminished,  and  soon,  meeting  with  a  rapid  cur- 
rent, disappeared  in  the  north.  His  master  and  his  friend 
were  saved. 

"  It  was  a  very  happy  idea  of  mine  to  throw  myself  into 


358  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

the  Tchad,"  said  Joe  to  himself.  "  Mr.  Kennedy  would 
have  done  the  same  if  he  had  thought  of  it,  for  it  is  only 
natural  that  one  man  should  sacrifice  himself  to  save  tw^o 
others.     That  is  mathematical. — O.  E.  D. ! " 

Reassured  upon  this  point,  Joe  began  to  consider  his 
position;  he  was  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  lake,  sur- 
rounded by  unknown,  and  probably  savage,  tribes.  All 
the  more  reason  then  for  him  to  get  out  of  the  scrape,  and 
to  trust  no  one  but  himself;  he  was  then  no  longer  afraid. 

Before  the  attack  by  the  birds  of  prey,  which,  according 
to  him,  had  conducted  themselves  like  true  condors,  he 
had  noticed  an  island  on  the  horizon.  He  now  resolved 
to  make  for  it,  and  determined  to  put  in  practice  all  his 
knowledge  of  swimming,  after  he  had  got  rid  of  part  of 
his  clothing.  He  did  not  trouble  himself  about  a  little 
swim  of  jfive  or  six  miles;  so,  while  he  was  in  the  open  lake, 
he  thought  of  nothing  but  of  swimming  straight  and  vig- 
orously. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  and  a  half  the  distance  between 
him  and  the  island  was  much  less.  But  as  he  approached 
the  land,  a  thought  at  first  fugitive,  and  then  more  definite, 
weighed  upon  his  mind.  He  knew  that  the  banks  were 
frequented  by  enormous  alligators,  and  he  was  aware  of 
their  voracity.  So  ready  was  the  brave  lad  to  believe 
everything  in  the  world  was  "  natural,"  that  he  did  not 
feel  very  much  moved;  he  feared  that  white  flesh  was  par- 
ticularly tasteful  to  crocodiles,  and  he  advanced  with 
extreme  caution,  with  eyes  strained  to  watch. 

He  was  not  more  than  lOO  yards  from  the  shadowy 
bank,  when  a  smell  of  musk  pervaded  the  air  around  him. 

"Ha!"  he  muttered;  "as  I  feared,  the  alligator  Is  not 
far  off." 

He  dived  at  once,  but  not  sufiiclently  to  avoid  the  con- 
tact of  an  immense  body,  whose  scaly  skin  scraped  him  as 
it  passed.  He  gave  himself  up  for  lost,  and  began  to  swim 
with  desperate  energy.  He  came  to  the  surface,  took 
breath,  and  again  dived.  He  endured  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
of  poignant  agony  which  all  his  philosophy  was  unable  to 
overcome,  and  fancied  he  heard  behind  him  the  noise  of 
the  immense  jaws  ready  to  snap  him  up.  He  was  swim- 
ming then  as  quietly  as  possible  to  land,  when  he  was  seized 
by  one  arm,  and  then  around  the  waist. 


THE  ISLE  OF  BIDDIOMAHS  359 

Poor  Joe,  he  gave  a  last  thought  to  his  master,  and  be- 
gan to  fight  desperately,  but  felt  himself  drawn,  not  to- 
wards the  bottom  of  the  lake,  as  crocodiles  have  the  habit 
of  doing  to  devour  their  prey,  but  to  the  surface.  Scarcely 
had  he  drawn  breath  and  opened  his  eyes,  than  he  perceived 
two  negroes,  of  an  ebony  hue;  these  Africans  held  him 
tightly  and  uttered  strange  cries. 

"Hollo!"  cried  Joe.  "Niggers  instead  of  crocodiles. 
Faith,  I  prefer  the  former.  But  how  do  these  fellows  dare 
to  bathe  in  such  places  as  this  ?  " 

Joe  forgot  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  islands  on  the 
lake,  like  all  black  people,  can  bathe  with  impunity  in  water 
swarming  with  alligators  without  heeding  them.  The  am- 
phibious inhabitants  of  this  lake  have  a  great  reputation  for 
being  inoffensive  saurians. 

But  Joe  was  only  "  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire." 
He  determined  to  wait  the  issue  of  events,  and  as  he  could 
not  do  otherwise,  he  permitted  himself  to  be  conducted  to 
the  bank  without  displaying  any  fear. 

"  Evidently,"  thought  he,  "  these  people  have  seen  the 
*  Victoria '  skimming  the  lake  like  an  aerial  monster ;  they 
have  been  distant  witnesses  of  my  fall,  and  they  cannot  but 
feel  respect  for  a  man  who  has  fallen  from  Heaven.  Let 
them  go  on." 

Joe  was  reflecting  thus  when  he  was  landed  in  the  midst 
of  a  shouting  crowd  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  but  not  of 
every  color.  He  was  with  a  tribe  of  Biddiomahs  of  a 
splendid  black  tint.  There  was  no  reason  for  him  to  blush, 
even  at  the  lightness  of  his  clothing;  he  was  in  "desha- 
bille," the  latest  fashion  of  the  country. 

But  ere  he  had  time  to  take  in  all  the  situation  he  could 
not  mistake  the  adoration  of  which  he  became  the  object. 

This  fact  did  not  reassure  him,  when  the  affair  of  Kazeh 
recurred  to  his  memory. 

"  I  see  that  I  am  about  to  become  a  god — a  son  of  the 
Moon  perhaps.  Well,  that  will  do  as  well  as  any  other 
when  there  is  no  choice.  What  is  necessary  is  to  gain 
time.  If  the  '  Victoria  '  happens  to  pass,  I  will  profit  by 
my  new  position  to  give  my  worshipers  a  view  of  a  mi- 
raculous apotheosis." 

While  Joe  was  thus  reflecting  the  crowd  was  assembling 
round  him;  they  prostrated  themselves,  they  shouted,  they 


36o  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

touched  him,  even  became  familiar;  but  at  last  they  hacl 
the  forethought  to  offer  him  a  splendid  feast,  composed  of 
sour  milk  with  rice,  pounded  up  with  honey.  The  lad, 
who  took  everything  as  it  came,  made  one  of  the  best  meals 
he  had  ever  enjoyed  in  his  life,  and  gave  the  people  some 
idea  of  the  fashion  in  which  gods  eat  on  great  occasions. 

When  evening  arrived  the  sorceress  took  Joe  respectfully 
by  the  hand  and  conducted  him  to  a  kind  of  hut  surrounded 
by  "  charms " ;  before  entering  he  cast  an  anxious  glance 
upon  the  heaps  of  bones  which  were  piled  up  around  this 
sanctuary;  he  had,  however,  plenty  of  time  to  reflect  upon 
his  position  after  he  was  locked  in. 

During  the  evening  and  a  part  of  the  night  he  heard  the 
songs  of  the  feasting  multitude,  the  noise  of  a  species  of 
drum  and  of  old  iron  pots,  very  sweet  to  the  African  ear; 
the  choruses  were  shouted  as  accompaniment  to  inter- 
minable dances,  which  enclosed  the  cabin  in  their  mazes. 

Joe  heard  this  deafening  clamor  through  the  mud  and 
reed-lined  walls  of  the  hut.  Perhaps,  in  other  circum- 
stances, he  might  have  taken  an  interest  in  these  strange 
ceremonies,  but  his  mind  was  disturbed  by  unpleasant  fore- 
bodings. Looking  even  at  the  bright  side  of  things,  it  was 
sad  and  depressing  to  be  lost  amongst  a  savage  people. 
Few  travelers  who  had  ventured  so  far  as  this  had  ever 
returned.  Moreover,  could  he  pride  himself  upon  the  wor- 
ship already  accorded  him.  He  had  good  reason  to  dis- 
trust human  grandeur,  and  asked  himself  whether,  in  that 
region,  worship  was  not  only  a  preparation  for  being  de- 
voured. 

Notwithstanding  this  doleful  prospect,  after  some  hours 
devoted  to  reflection,  fatigue  overcame  him,  and  Joe  fell 
into  a  deep  sleep,  which  would,  doubtless,  have  continued 
till  daylight  if  an  unexpected  dampness  of  the  earth  had  not 
awakened  him. 

He  soon  perceived  that  the  water  was  rising,  and  so 
quickly  that  it  soon  reached  his  waist. 

"What  can  this  be?"  said  he;  "an  inundation — a  wa- 
ter-spout— a  new  mode  of  sacrifice?  By  Jove!  I  shall 
wait  no  longer,  it  will  soon  be  up  to  my  neck."  As  he 
spoke,  he  burst  through  the  wall  by  a  vigorous  application 
of  his  shoulder,  and  found  himself — where? — in  the  open 
lake! 


THE  ISLE  OF  BIDDIOMAHS  361 

"  Rather  a  bad  sort  of  country  for  the  owners,"  said  Joe, 
as  he  again  set  out  swimming  vigorously.  One  of  those 
phenomena  by  no  means  un  frequent  in  Lake  Tchad  had 
released  the  brave  lad.  More  than  one  island  has  com- 
pletely disappeared  which  had  seemed  to  possess  the  solid- 
ity of  rock,  and  the  tribes  on  the  banks  of  the  lake  are 
obliged  to  rescue  the  unfortunate  inhabitants  who  have  es- 
caped. 

Joe  was  not  aware  of  this  peculiarity,  but  he  did  not  fail 
to  profit  by  it.  He  perceived  a  boat  drifting  about,  and 
rapidly  secured  it.  It  appeared  hollowed  out  from  the 
trunk  of  a  tree.  A  pair  of  paddles  were  fortunately  in  it, 
and  Joe,  profiting  by  a  rapid  current,  let  himself  drift. 

"  Let  me  see  where  I  am,"  he  said.  "  The  polar  star, 
which  is  honestly  doing  his  duty  in  pointing  out  the  route 
to  the  north,  will  assist  me." 

He  remembered  with  satisfaction  that  the  current  was 
bearing  him  towards  the  north  end  of  Lake  Tchad,  and  he 
let  it  do  so.  About  two  in  the  morning  he  landed  upon  a 
promontory,  covered  with  reeds,  which  were  very  trouble- 
some, even  to  his  philosophy,  but  a  tree  seemed  to  be 
growing  for  the  express  purpose  of  offering  him  a  bed 
amid  its  leaves.  Joe  twined  himself  in  the  branches,  and, 
without  daring  to  sleep,  awaited  the  first  rays  of  morning. 

The  day  broke  with  the  suddenness  usual  in  equatorial 
regions.  Joe  threw  a  comprehensive  view  around  and  over 
the  tree  in  which  he  had  passed  the  night.  The  branches 
were  literally  covered  with  serpents  and  chameleons — the 
leaves  were  hidden  beneath  their  folds — a  tree  of  quite  a 
new  species  to  produce  such  reptiles.  Under  the  influence 
of  the  sun's  rays  they  began  to  crawl  about  and  twist  in  all 
directions.  Joe  experienced  a  sharp  terror,  mingled  with 
disgust,  and  jumped  from  the  tree  amid  the  hissings  of 
the  snakes. 

"  That  is  a  thing  that  no  one  would  credit,"  thought  he. 

Lie  did  not  know  that  the  last  letters  of  Doctor  Vogel 
had  announced  this  peculiarity  of  the  banks  of  the  Tchad, 
where  the  reptiles  are  more  numerous  than  in  any  other 
country.  After  this  experience,  Joe  determined  to  travel 
with  more  circumspection  for  the  future,  and  turning  to- 
wards the  sun,  he  then  struck  out  to  the  northeast.  He 
took  good  care  to  avoid  cabins,  huts,  or  caves,  and,  in  a 


362  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

word,  any  place  that  might  serve  as  shelter  for  any  human 
being.  How  often  did  he  look  up  at  the  sky!  He  hoped 
to  see  the  "  Victoria,"  and  though  he  had  vainly  sought 
her  all  the  day,  that  did  not  diminish  his  confidence  in  his 
master;  he  must  have  had  great  firmness  of  character  to 
accept  the  situation  so  philosophically.  Hunger  now  be- 
gan to  unite  with  fatigue,  for  a  diet  of  roots,  the  marrow 
of  the  arbutus,  from  which  "  mele  "  is  made,  or  the  fruit 
of  the  trees  do  not  refresh  a  man;  and  yet,  according  to  his 
estimate,  he  had  traversed  a  thousand  miles  to  the  west. 
His  body  bore  the  marks  of  the  thorns  and  prickly  reeds, 
through  which  he  had  pushed  his  way,  and  his  wounded 
and  bleeding  feet  rendered  his  progress  very  painful.  But 
still  he  could  fight  against  his  sufferings,  and,  as  evening  set 
in,  he  determined  to  pass  the  night  on  the  borders  of  the 
lake. 

There  he  had  to  submit  to  the  bites  of  myriads  of  in- 
sects. Flies,  mosquitoes,  ants,  half  an  inch  long,  swarmed 
around  him.  At  the  end  of  two  hours  Joe  had  not  a  rag 
of  clothing  left,  the  insects  had  devoured  everything. 
This  was  a  terrible  night,  which  brought  no  sleep  to  the 
weary  traveler.  All  this  time  the  boars,  the  wild  oxen,  the 
ajorib,  a  sort  of  rhinoceros  and  equally  dangerous,  raged 
in  the  copses  and  beneath  the  waters  of  the  lake.  This 
concert  of  wild  beasts  was  kept  up  into  the  middle  of  the 
night.  Joe  did  not  dare  to  move.  His  determination  and 
patience  scarcely  held  out  under  such  circumstances. 

At  length  day  dawned.  Joe  rose  hurriedly,  and  judge 
of  his  horror  when  he  perceived  that  he  had  unwittingly 
shared  his  bed  with  an  enormous  frog,  about  five  inches 
broad,  a  monstrous  disgusting  reptile,  which  kept  staring  at 
Joe  with  its  great  round  eyes.  Joe  felt  his  heart  beat,  and 
distaste  lending  him  strength,  he  ran  away  as  hard  as  he 
could  and  plunged  into  the  lake.  This  bath  assuaged  the 
itching  that  tormented  him,  and  having  munched  some 
leaves,  he  resumed  his  route  with  an  obstinacy  and  per- 
sistence for  which  he  could  not  account;  he  was  no  longer 
conscious  of  his  actions,  but,  nevertheless,  he  was  aware 
of  the  existence  of  a  power  wathin  him  superior  to  despair. 

Now  the  pangs  of  hunger  began  to  assail  him,  and  he 
was  obliged  to  tie  a  band  of  weed  around  his  body.  For- 
tunately his  thirst  could  be  quenched  at  every  step,  and 


THE  ISLE  OF  BIDDIOMAHS  363 

while  recalling  the  sufferings  of  the  desert,  he  found  some 
consolation  in  not  having  to  endure  that  terrible  expe- 
rience. 

"What  can  have  become  of  the  *  Victoria?'"  thought 
he.  "  The  wind  is  from  the  north.  It  might  return  to  the 
lake.  Without  doubt  Mr.  Samuel  has  gone  to  establish 
the  equilibrium  anew,  but  yesterday  was  sufficient  for  that; 

it  is  not,   then,   impossible  that  to-day But  I  must 

act  as  if  I  were  never  likely  to  see  him  again.  After  all, 
if  I  do  reach  one  of  those  great  towns  on  the  lake  I  shall 
only  be  in  the  same  position  as  those  great  travelers  of 
whom  master  has  spoken.  Why  should  I  not  do  as  well 
as  they?  They  have  returned — some  of  them!  why,  the 
devil Well,  courage !  " 

As  he  was  thinking  thus  and  pressing  onward,  Joe  fell 
amongst  a  troop  of  savages  in  a  wood.  He  stopped  in 
time,  and  was  not  seen  by  them.  The  negroes  were  en- 
gaged in  poisoning  their  arrows  with  the  juice  of  the  eu- 
phorbia, an  important  proceeding  in  these  countries,  and 
almost  rising  to  the  dignity  of  a  religious  ceremony. 

Joe  stood  still  and  held  his  breath,  and  hid  in  the  midst 
of  a  brake,  when  rising  before  him,  seen  through  an  open- 
ing in  the  leaves,  he  perceived  the  "  Victoria," — the  "  Vic- 
toria"' herself — directing  her  course  towards  the  lake, 
scarcely  100  feet  above  him.  It  was  impossible  to  make 
himself  heard — impossible  for  the  occupants  to  see  him. 

Tears  came  into  his  eyes,  not  of  despair,  but  of  recog- 
nition. His  master  was  searching  for  him,  he  had  not 
been  abandoned.  He  was  obliged  to  await  the  departure 
of  the  negroes;  he  could  then  leave  his  retreat  and  run 
across  to  the  border  of  the  lake. 

But  the  "  Victoria "  soon  disappeared  in  the  distance. 
Joe  resolved  to  wait  its  return,  for  it  would  surely  come 
again.  It  did  actually  pass,  but  more  to  the  east.  Joe  ran, 
gesticulated,  shouted,  all  in  vain.  A  violent  wind  hurried 
her  away. 

For  the  first  time,  energy  and  hope  failed  Joe.  He 
thought  he  was  lost;  he  believed  his  master  had  gone  never 
to  return.     He  did  not  wish  to  reflect — he  did  not  dare. 

Completely  overcome,  with  bleeding  feet  and  wounded 
limbs,  he  plodded  on  during  the  whole  of  that  day  and 
a,  part  of  the  night.     He  dragged  himself  on  his  way,  some- 


364  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

times  on  his  hands  and  knees.  He  already  foresaw  the 
moment  his  strength  would  fail  him,  and  when  he  must 
die! 

As  he  proceeded,  he  suddenly  found  himself  opposite  a 
marsh — or  rather,  to  that  which  he  felt  very  soon  was  a 
marsh,  for  the  night  was  very  dark.  He  fell  unexpectedly 
into  the  thick  mud,  and,  notwithstanding  his  struggles  and 
a  desperate  resistance,  he  felt  himself  sink  by  degrees  into 
this  miry  ground;  some  minutes  later  he  was  engulfed  up 
to  his  waist.  "  Death  is  here  at  last,"  he  said ;  "  and  such 
a  death!" 

He  fought  despairingly,  but  all  his  efforts  only  served  to 
plunge  him  more  deeply  into  the  grave  which  the  unhappy 
man  believed  to  be  his  own.  Not  a  fragment  of  wood  to 
support  him,  not  a  reed  to  hold  to.  He  fancied  it  was  all 
over.  His  eyes  closed.  "Master,  master,  save  me!"  he 
cried. 

And  this  despairing  cry,  already  almost  stifled,  and  to 
which  no  echo  replied,  lost  itself  in  the  thick  darkness  of 
the  night. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

TAKEN  UP  FLYING 

Since  Kennedy  had  taken  up  his  post  of  observation  in 
front  of  the  balloon,  he  had  not  ceased  to  search  the  horizon 
attentively.  After  some  time  he  turned  towards  the  doc- 
tor and  said,  "If  I  be  not  mistaken,  there  is  a  troop  of 
horsemen  moving  over  there — I  cannot  distinguish  them 
yet.  At  any  rate  they  are  disturbed,  for  they  are  raising 
a  cloud  of  dust." 

"  May  it  not  be  a  contrary  wind  ?  "  said  Samuel ;  "  a  cur- 
rent which  may  carry  us  to  the  north  ?  "  And  he  got  up  to 
examine  the  horizon. 

"I  do  not  think  that,  Samuel,"  replied  Kennedy;  "it  is 
a  herd  of  gazelles,  or  wild  oxen." 

"  Perhaps,  Dick,  but  the  gathering  is  at  least  nine  or  ten 
miles  off;  and,  for  my  part,  even  with  the  telescope,  I  can 
make  nothing  of  them." 

"  Well,  I  shall  not  lose  sight  of  them,  there  is  something 
extraordinary  going  on  which  interests  me,  it  is  something 


TAKEN  UP  FLYING  365 

like  the  movements  of  cavalry.  Ha!  I  was  not  mistaken, 
they  are  horsemen — look!  " 

The  doctor  scanned  the  group  attentively. 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,"  said  he.  "  It  is  a  detachment 
of  Arabs  from  Tibbous ;  they  are  flying  in  the  same  direc- 
tion as  we,  but  we  are  going  faster,  and  will  easily  over- 
take them.  In  half  an  hour  we  shall  be  within  sight,  and 
be  able  to  determine  upon  our  course  of  action." 

Kennedy  had  again  seized  the  glass,  and  was  attentively 
studying  the  group.  They  had  become  more  visible;  some 
of  them  were  separated  from  the  others. 

"  It  is  evident,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  that  it  is  some 
maneuver  being  executed,  or  it  is  a  hunt.  They  seem  to 
be  chasing  something.     I  should  like  to  know  what  it  is." 

"  Patience,  Dick,  we  shall  soon  have  come  up  with  them, 
and  even  passed  them,  if  they  continue  to  keep  the  same 
course.  We  are  going  at  twenty  miles  an  hour,  and  no 
horse  can  keep  up  such  a  pace  as  that."  ' 

Kennedy  resumed  his  scrutiny,  and  some  minutes  after- 
wards he  said : 

"  These  Arabs  are  going  at  top  speed — I  can  distinguish 
them  perfectly.  There  are  about  fifty  of  them — I  see 
their  bournous  flying  in  the  wind.  It  is  cavalry  exercise, 
their  chief  is  a  hundred  paces  in  front,  and  they  are  after 
him." 

"  Whatever  they  may  be,  we  need  not  fear  them ;  and, 
if  necessary,  I  can  ascend." 

"  Wait — wait  a  moment,  Samuel !  " 

"  This  is  very  odd,"  added  Dick,  after  examining  the 
troop  anew ;  "  there  is  something  that  I  do  not  understand. 
In  their  headlong  speed  and  the  irregularity  of  their  forma- 
tion these  Arabs  have  rather  the  appearance  of  pursuers 
than  followers." 

"Are  you  sure  of  that,  Dick?" 

"  It  is  certain ;  I  am  not  mistaken.  It  is  a  chase,  but  a 
man-chase.  It  is  not  their  chief  they  are  pursuing,  after 
all;  it  is  a  fugutive." 

"  A  fugutive !  "  said  Samuel,  with  emotion. 

*'  Yes." 

"  We  must  not  lose  sight  of  them — but  wait." 

They  quickly  gained  upon  the  troop,  which  was  going, 
nevertheless,  at  a  great  pace. 


366  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Samuel,    Samuel ! "    cried    Kennedy,    in   a    tremulous 
voice. 

"What  is  it,  Dick?" 

"  Is  it  a  dream — is  it  possible  ?  " 

"What?" 

"  Wait  a  second ;"  and  the  Scot  rapidly  arranged  the 
glasses  and  looked  again. 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor. 

"'Tishe,  Samuel!" 

"He!"  exclaimed  the  latter.  They  both  said  "he," 
there  was  no  necessity  to  name  him. 

"  'Tis  he  on  horseback,  and  scarcely  a  hundred  paces  in 
advance  of  his  enemies.    He  is  flying  from  them," 

"  It  is  Joe,  indeed,"  said  the  doctor,  growing  pale. 

"  He  cannot  see  us  in  his  flight,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  He  shall  very  soon  see  us,  then,"  said  the  doctor,  lower- 
ing the  flame  of  the  blow-pipe. 

"How?" 

"  In  five  minutes  we  shall  be  within  fifty  feet  of  the 
ground,  in  fifteen  close  above  him." 

"  I  had  better  fire  a  shot  to  attract  his  attention." 

"  No,  he  cannot  retrace  his  steps ;  he  is  cut  off." 

"  What  is  to  be  done  then?  " 

"  Wait." 

"  Wait !  with  those  Arabs  there  ?  " 

"  We  shall  catch  them !  We  shall  pass  them !  We  are 
only  two  miles  distant,  and  provided  Joe's  horse  holds  out." 

"  Great  Heaven !  "  exclaimed  Kennedy. 

"What  is  it?" 

Kennedy  had  uttered  a  cry  of  despair  at  beholding  Joe 
thrown  to  the  ground.  His  horse,  evidently  exhausted  and 
worn  out,  fell  beneath  him. 

"  He  sees  us!  "  cried  the  doctor;  "  he  raised  his  arm  as 
a  signal  to  us." 

"  But  the  Arabs  will  take  him!  what  is  he  waiting  for! 
Ah !  the  brave  fellow !  Hurrah !  "  cried  Dick,  who  could  no 
longer  contain  himself. 

Joe  had  immediately  jumped  up  after  his  fall,  and  at  the 
moment  when  one  of  the  foremost  horsemen  came  riding 
down  upon  him,  he  bounded  up  like  a  panther,  avoided  his 
blow  by  a  step  aside,  threw  himself  upon  the  horse,  seized 
the  Arab  by  the  throat  in  his  muscular  hands,  and  strangled 


TAKEN  UP  FLYING  367 

him,  threw  him  upon  the  sand,  and  continued  his  headlong 
course, 

A  simultaneous  shout  from  the  Arabs  rent  the  air,  but, 
occupied  in  their  pursuit,  they  had  not  observed  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  500  paces  behind  them,  and  only  thirty  feet  above 
the  ground.  They  were  now  within  twenty  lengths  of 
the  fugitive. 

One  of  them  nearly  approached  Joe,  and  was  about  to 
thrust  his  lance  into  his  body,  when  Kennedy,  with  firm 
eye  and  steady  hand,  stopped  him  neatly  with  a  bullet,  and 
he  rolled  on  the  plain. 

Joe  did  not  even  turn  round  at  the  report. 

A  portion  of  the  troop  halted,  and  fell  on  their  faces  in 
the  dust  before  the  "  Victoria,"  the  remainder  continued 
the  pursuit. 

"  But  what  is  Joe  about?  why  doesn't  he  stop?  " 

"  He  knows  better  than  to  do  that,  Dick.  I  understand 
him.  He  keeps  going  in  the  same  direction  as  the  balloon. 
He  depends  upon  us.  Brave  lad!  We  will  take  him  out 
of  the  very  jaws  of  these  Arabs.  We  are  only  fifty  paces 
off." 

What  must  be  done?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

Put  your  gun  aside." 

There  it  is,"  said  the  Scot,  as  he  laid  it  down. 

"Can  you  hold  500  lbs.  of  ballast  in  your  arms?  " 

"  More  than  that." 

"  No,  that  will  be  sufficient." 

And  the  bags  of  sand  were  then  piled  up  by  the  doctor 
upon  Kennedy's  arms. 

"  Now  wait  at  the  back  of  the  car,  and  be  ready  to  throw 
all  that  ballast  out  at  once.  But,  for  your  very  life,  do  not 
do  so  till  I  tell  you." 

"All  right." 
Without  that  we  cannot  help  Joe,  and  he  will  be  lost." 

"  You  may  depend  upon  me." 

The  "  Victoria  "  was  flying  almost  above  the  troop  of 
horsemen  who  were  riding  with  loose  reins  after  Joe.  The 
doctor  in  the  front  of  the  car  held  the  ladder  extended,  ready 
to  launch  it  at  the  proper  moment.  Joe  still  kept  about 
fifty  feet  ahead  of  his  pursuers.  The  "  Victoria "  passed 
them. 

"  Attention !  "  cried  Samuel  to  Kennedy. 


it 


it 


368  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  I  am  ready." 

"  Joe,  look  out !  "  cried  the  doctor  in  a  ringing  voice,  as 
he  threw  down  the  ladder,  whose  lowest  round  dragged  up 
the  dust  as  they  fell. 

At  the  doctor's  summons,  Joe,  without  checking  his 
horse,  turned  round.  The  ladder  was  close  to  him,  and 
in  a  moment  he  had  caught  it. 

"  Throw  out  the  ballast !  "  roared  the  doctor. 

"  Done,"  replied  Kennedy;  and  the  "Victoria,"  lightened 
by  a  weight  more  than  that  of  Joe,  rose  150  feet  into  the 
air. 

Joe  held  on  tightly  to  the  ladder  during  its  tremendous 
oscillations;  then,  making  an  indescribable  gesture  to  the 
Arabs,  and  climbing  up  with  the  agility  of  a  clown,  he 
arrived  at  the  car,  where  his  companions  received  him  in 
their  arms.  The  Arabs  uttered  yells  of  surprise  and  rage 
when  they  perceived  the  "  Victoria  "  bearing  away  the  fugi- 
tive, and  rapidly  increasing  her  distance. 

"Master — Mr.  Dick!"  Joe  had  said,  and,  yielding  to 
emotion  and  fatigue,  he  had  fainted,  while  Kennedy,  with 
delirious  joy,  cried  out  "  Saved — saved !  " 

"  Well — yes ! "  said  the  doctor,  who  had  regained  his 
usual  impassibility. 

Joe  was  almost  naked,  his  arms  bleeding  and  his  body 
covered  with  wounds;  all  these  told  of  his  sufferings.  The 
doctor  dressed  his  hurts  and  laid  him  down  in  the  tent. 

Joe  soon  regained  consciousness,  and  asked  for  a  glass 
of  brandy,  which  the  doctor  did  not  refuse,  Joe  not  being  a 
person  to  be  treated  like  an  ordinary  individual.  After 
drinking  it  he  shook  hands  with  his  two  companions,  and 
declared  himself  ready  to  relate  his  adventures. 

But  they  would  not  permit  him  to  speak,  and  the  brave 
lad  fell  into  a  sound  sleep,  of  which  he  was  in  great  need. 

The  "  Victoria "  then  took  an  oblique  course  towards 

the  west.     In  consequence  of  a  strong  wind,  it  arrived  at 

the  confines  of  the  thorny  desert  above  the  palm  trees,  bent 

and  torn  by  the  tempest,   and  after  having  completed  a 

journey  of  200  miles  since  Joe  had  been  received  on  board 

again,   it  passed  the  tenth  degree  of  longitude  towards 

evening. 
V.  I  Verne 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

A  NIGHT  NEAR  AGHADES 

The  wind  dropped  during  the  night,  and  the  "Vic- 
toria "  remained  quietly  at  the  summit  of  a  large  sycamore; 
the  doctor  and  Kennedy  watched  in  turn,  and  Joe  profited 
by  this  arrangement  to  sleep  soundly  and  uninterruptedly 
for  twenty-four  hours. 

"  That  is  what  he  wanted  to  set  him  up,"  said  Ferguson ; 
"  Nature  has  taken  upon  herself  to  cure  him." 

At  daylight  the  wind  again  blew  pretty  strongly,  but  in 
gusts:  it  first  came  from  the  north,  then  from  the  south; 
but  at  length  the  "  Victoria  "  was  driven  to  the  westward. 

The  doctor,  map  in  hand,  noted  the  kingdom  of  Da- 
maghou,  an  undulating  region  of  wonderful  fertility,  with 
its  villages  built  of  long  reeds,  entwined  with  branches  of 
the  asclepia;  corn  ricks  were  raised  up  in  the  small  culti- 
vated fields  upon  little  platforms,  to  preserve  them  from  the 
attacks  of  mice  and  ants.  The  balloon  soon  reached  the 
town  of  Zinder,  recognizable  by  its  vast  square  used  for 
executions — in  the  center  of  which  is  the  "  death-tree."  At 
the  foot  of  this  tree  the  executioner  watches,  and  whoso- 
ever passes  beneath  its  shade  is  immediately  hanged. 

On  consulting  the  barometer,  Kennedy  could  not  help 
saying :  "  Why,  we  are  going  towards  the  north ! " 

"What  does  that  matter?  If  we  get  to  Timbuctoo  we 
shall  have  no  reason  to  complain.  Never  has  a  happier 
journey  been  accomplished  under  more  pleasant  circum- 
stances." 

"  Nor  in  better  health,"  said  Joe,  who  just  then  popped 
his  cheery  face  between  the  curtains  of  the  awning. 

"  Here  is  our  brave  friend,"  cried  Kennedy ;  "  our  pre- 
server.   How  do  you  feel  now?  " 

"  Much  as  usual,  Mr.  Dick,  much  as  usual,  thank  you, 
and  as  well  as  ever.  There  is  nothing  to  set  a  man  up  like 
a  little  pleasant  traveling  after  a  bath  in  Lake  Tchad;  is  it 
not  so,  sir?  " 

"  You  are  indeed  a  noble  fellow,"  replied  Ferguson,  as 
he  shook  Joe  by  the  hand.  "  What  anxiety  and  fear  you 
have  caused  us !  " 

"Well,  and  you  too.  Can  you  believe  that  I  was  easy 
about  you?  You  can  boast  of  having  given  me  a  fine 
fright." 

369 


370  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  We  shall  never  understand  each  other,  Joe,  if  you  take 
things  in  that  way." 

"  I  see  that  his  fall  has  not  changed  him  a  bit,"  said 
Kennedy. 

"  Your  devotion  has  been  sublime,  my  lad ;  you  have 
saved  us,  for  had  the  *  Victoria  '  fallen  into  the  lake,  nothing 
could  have  extricated  her." 

"  But  if  my  devotion,  as  you  are  pleased  to  call  my 
somersault,  has  preserved  you,  have  you  not  also  saved 
me?  Since  here  we  are,  all  three  in  good  health,  conse- 
quently we  have  none  of  us  any  reason  to  reproach  each 
other,  after  all." 

"  The  fellow  is  just  as  impossible  as  ever  he  was,"  said 
the  Scot. 

"  The  best  way  to  understand  each  other,"  said  Joe,  "  is 
not  to  talk  about  it.  What  is  done,  is  done.  Good  or  bad, 
it  can  never  be  recalled." 

"Mad  as  ever,"  said  the  doctor,  laughing.  "At  least, 
will  you  tell  us  your  adventures?  " 

"If  you  really  desire  it.  But  first  I  must  get  this  plump 
goose  ready  for  cooking,  for  I  perceive  that  Mr.  Dick  has 
not  been  idle  lately." 

"  Do  as  3'-ou  say,  Joe." 

"  Well,  then  we  shall  see  how  African  game  suits  the 
European  stomach."  The  goose  was  quickly  grilled  over 
the  flame  of  the  blow-pipe  and  soon  afterwards  eaten.  Joe 
took  his  share  like  a  man  who  had  eaten  nothing  for  many 
days.  After  the  usual  tea  and  grog  he  related  his  adven- 
tures. He  spoke  with  visible  emotion,  while  he  looked  the 
incidents  in  the  face  with  his  habitual  philosophy. 

The  doctor  could  not  refrain  from  pressing  him  by  the 
hand  frequently  when  he  perceived  that  the  faithful  servant 
had  been  more  concerned  about  his  master's  safety  than  his 
own;  and  referring  to  the  phenomenon  in  the  isle  of  the 
Biddiomahs,  the  doctor  explained  its  frequent  occurrence 
on  Lake  Tchad. 

At  length  Joe,  continuing  his  recital,  reached  the  time, 
when,  plunged  in  the  marsh,  he  uttered  that  despairing  cry 
for  assistance,  "  I  believed  myself  lost,  sir,"  he  said,  "  and 
my  thoughts  went  forth  to  you,  I  began  to  struggle  to  rise, 
how,  I  will  not  tell  you.  I  had  decided  not  to  be  swallowed 
up  without  an  effort,  when  at  two  paces  from  me  I  per- 


A  NIGHT  NEAR  AGHADES  371 

celved  the  end  of  a  newly-severed  cord.  I  made  a  last 
attempt,  and  by  good  luck  reached  the  cable.  I  pulled,  it 
resisted.  I  hauled  myself  along  it,  and  finally  reached 
terra  firma.    At  the  other  end  of  the  cord  was  an  anchor." 

"  Ah,  sir,  I  have  indeed  the  right  to  call  it  the  Anchor 
of  Hope.  I  recognized  an  anchor  of  the  *  Victoria.'  You 
had,  then  landed  at  this  place.  I  followed  the  direction 
of  the  cord  which  told  me  your  route  and  after  much 
exertion  I  drew  myself  out  of  the  slough.  I  recovered  my 
strength  v/ith  my  courage,  and  I  walked  during  part  of  the 
night  away  from  the  lake.  I  arrived  at  length  on  the  bor- 
der of  an  immense  forest.  There,  in  an  enclosure,  some 
horses  were  feeding,  unaware  of  my  approach.  There  are 
some  moments  when  everyone  can  ride,  is  it  not  so?  I 
did  not  lose  time  in  reflecting.  I  jumped  on  the  back  of 
one  of  the  animals,  and  we  were  soon  flying  towards  the 
north  with  great  speed.  I  will  not  tell  you  about  the  towns 
I  did  not  see,  nor  the  villages  which  I  avoided.  No.  I 
crossed  cultivated  fields,  I  cleared  the  bushes,  I  leaped  pali- 
sades, I  pushed  my  horse  to  his  speed.  I  got  excited,  my 
spirits  rose.  I  reached  the  border  of  the  desert.  Good; 
that  suited  me.  I  could  see  before  me  more  plainly.  Hop- 
ing always  to  catch  sight  of  the  *  Victoria '  waiting  for  me. 
But  no!  About  three  hours  after  I  fell  in,  like  a  fool,  with 
an  Arab  encampment.  Ah,  what  a  chase  that  was!  You 
see,  Mr.  Kennedy,  a  hunter  never  knows  what  a  hunt  is  till 
he  has  been  chased  himself;  and  if  you  will  take  my  advice 
do  not  try  it.  My  horse  fell  from  fatigue,  the  Arabs  were 
close  upon  me,  I  tumbled  down,  but  soon  jumped  behind 
an  Arab  horseman.  I  did  not  intend  it,  and  I  hope  he  bears 
me  no  malice  for  having  throttled  him.  But  I  had  seen  you 
— ^you  know  the  rest.  The  '  Victoria  '  followed  me  closely, 
and  you  picked  me  up  flying  like  a  knight,  playing  at  the 
quintain  and  bearing  off  the  ring.  Was  I  not  right  to  de- 
pend upon  you,  eh,  Mr.  Samuel?  So  that  was  easy  enough 
Nothing  is  more  natural.  I  am  ready  to  begin  again  if  you 
will  be  in  any  way  benefited ;  and  so,  as  I  said,  sir,  it  is  not 
worth  speaking  about." 

"  My  brave  Joe,"  replied  the  doctor,  with  emotion,  "  w^e 
were  not  wrong  in  trusting  to  your  intelligence  and 
pluck.'* 

"  Bah !  sir,  one  has  only  to  follow  events,  and  you  will 


372  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

be  all  right.    The  surest  way  is  to  take  whatever  comes  as 
it  comes." 

During  Joe's  narrative,  the  balloon  had  rapidly  passed 
over  a  large  extent  of  country.  Kennedy  remarked  a  col- 
lection of  huts  on  the  horizon,  and  the  doctor,  referring  to 
the  map,  declared  that  it  was  the  small  town  of  Tagelel,  in 
the  Damerghou. 

"  Here,"  he  said,  "  we  shall  strike  Earth's  route.  Here 
he  left  his  two  companions,  Richardson  and  Overweg.  The 
first  followed  the  route  to  Zanzibar,  the  second  to  Maradi ; 
and  you  recollect  that  Earth  was  the  only  one  who  returned 
to  Europe." 

"  Thus,"  said  the  Scot,  tracing  the  course  of  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  on  the  map,  "  we  are  going  to  the  north." 

"  Due  north,  my  dear  Dick." 

"  And  are  you  not  disturbed  by  so  doing?  " 

"Why?" 

"  That  direction  leads  to  Tripoli  and  the  Great  Desert." 

"  Oh !  we  shall  not  go  so  far,  my  friend ;  at  least,  I  hope 
not." 

"  But  where  do  you  expect  to  stop  ?  " 

"  Well,  Dick,  have  you  no  curiosity  to  visit  Timbuctoo?  " 

"Timbuctoo!" 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Joe,  "  it  would  be  absurd  to  come 
upon  a  journey  to  Africa  without  seeing  Timbuctoo !  " 

"  You  will  then  be  the  fifth  or  sixth  European  who  has 
visited  this  mysterious  town." 

"  Let  us  go  to  Timbuctoo." 

"Then  we  must  get  between  the  17th  and  i8th  degrees 
of  latitude,  and  there  find  a  favorable  breeze  to  carry  us  to 
the  west." 

"  Good,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  but  have  we  not  still  a  long 
journey  to  make  to  the  north?  " 

"About  150  miles." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Kennedy,  "  I  shall  get  a  little  sleep." 

"  Do  you  also  sleep,  sir,"  said  Joe  to  the  doctor,  "  you 
have  need  of  repose,  for  I  have  given  you  an  immense 
amount  of  watching." 

Kennedy  lay  down  in  the  tent,  but  the  doctor,  who  was 
little  affected  by  fatigue,  remained  at  his  post. 

After  about  three  hours  the  "  Victoria  "  was  passing  very 
rapidly  over  a  stony  tract  of  land  with  high  mountains  of 


A  NIGHT  NEAR  AGHADES  373 

granitic  formation.  Some  isolated  peaks  were  4,000  feet 
high.  Giraffes,  antelopes,  and  ostriches,  bounded  with  sur- 
prising agility  amongst  the  acacias,  mimosas,  "  sonahs,"  and 
date-trees.  After  the  sterility  of  the  desert,  vegetation  was 
regaining  the  upper-hand.  It  was  the  country  of  the 
Kailouas,  who  conceal  their  faces  by  a  cotton  bandage  like 
their  dangerous  neighbors,  the  Touaregs. 

At  ten  o'clock  at  night,  after  a  splendid  "  run  "  of  250 
miles,  the  "  Victoria  "  halted  above  an  important  town.  By 
the  moonlight  they  could  perceive  that  it  was  half  in  ruins, 
some  of  the  mosques  were  interlaced  here  and  there  with 
broad  bands  of  white  light.  The  doctor  made  an  obser- 
vation by  the  stars,  and  found  he  was  within  the  latitude  of 
Aghades. 

This  town,  formerly  a  great  commercial  center,  had 
already  fallen  into  ruins  at  the  time  Doctor  Barth  visited  it. 

The  "  Victoria,"  unperceived,  took  the  ground  two  miles 
beyond  Aghades,  in  a  large  field  of  millet.  The  night  was 
quiet,  and  day  broke  at  five  o'clock,  when  a  gentle  wind 
began  to  impel  the  balloon  towards  the  west  and  even  a 
little  southwards.  Ferguson  was  very  anxious  to  profit  by 
this  good  fortune.  He  rose  rapidly  and  fled  away  along  the 
extended  beams  of  the  rising  sun. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

RAPID  TRAVELING 

The  17th  of  May  passed  quietly  and  without  incident. 
The  desert  was  again  encountered,  a  moderate  wind  im- 
pelled the  "  Victoria  "  to  the  southwest,  it  deviated  neither 
to  the  right  nor  left,  and  its  shadow  was  traced  in  a  direct 
line  upon  the  sand. 

Before  his  last  departure  the  doctor  had  taken  care  to 
replenish  his  store  of  water.  He  was  afraid  of  not  being 
able  to  obtain  v/ater  in  those  countries  infested  by  the 
Touaregs.  The  plain,  about  1,800  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  depressed  towards  the  south.  The  travelers  having 
crossed  the  route  from  Aghades  to  Mourzouk  frequented  by 
caravans,  arrived  in  the  evening  in  16°  lat.  and  4°  55'  long., 
having  had  a  long  and  monotonous  journey  of  180  miles. 
During  that  day  Joe  cooked  the  last  head  of  game,  which 


374  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

was  very  summarily  prepared.  He  sent  up  a  most  appetizing 
little  supper  of  frochette  of  snipe.  The  wind  being  favor- 
able, the  doctor  resolved  to  continue  his  journey  by  night, 
as  the  full  moon  was  shining  brightly.  The  "  Victoria  " 
rose  to  500  feet,  and  during  this  night  journey  of  about 
60  miles,  an  infant's  slumber  would  not  have  been  disturbed. 

On  Sunday  there  was  another  change  in  the  wind,  viz., 
to  the  northwest.  Some  ravens  were  perceived,  and  further 
off  a  flock  of  vultures,  who  fortunately  kept  aloof. 

The  sight  of  these  birds  induced  Joe  to  compliment  his 
master  upon  his  idea  of  two  balloons. 

"  Where  should  we  be  now,"  said  he,  "  if  we  had  had 
but  one  envelope?  This  second  balloon  is  like  a  ship's 
launch ;  in  case  of  shipwreck,  one  can  always  take  to  it  for 
safety." 

"  You  are  right,  my  friend,  only  my  launch  makes  me  a 
little  nervous,  it  is  not  like  the  ship." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  I  say  that  the  new  '  Victoria '  is  not  up  to  the  old  one. 
Whether  the  tissues  have  been  stretched,  or  whether  the 
gutta-percha  is  melted  with  heat  of  the  serpentine,  I  am 
aware  of  a  certain  escape  of  gas.  This  is  not  much  matter 
at  present,  but  it  is  appreciable ;  we  have  a  tendency  to  fall, 
and  to  keep  us  up  I  am  obliged  to  dilate  the  hydrogen  to  a 
greater  extent." 

"  Whew !  "  cried  Kennedy,  "  I  don't  see  any  remedy  for 
that!" 

"  There  is  none,  my  dear  Dick.  That  is  the  reason  we 
are  pressing  on,  and  even  at  night." 

Are  we  far  from  the  coast?  "  asked  Joe. 
What  coast,  my  lad?     We  cannot  tell  where  chance 
may  lead  us;  all  I  can  say  is,  that  Timbuctoo  is  400  miles 
to  the  west." 

"  And  what  time  shall  we  take  to  get  there?" 

*'  If  the  wind  do  not  drop,  I  expect  to  see  the  town  on 
Tuesday  afternoon." 

"  Then,"  said  Joe,  pointing  out  a  long  train  of  men  and 
beasts  on  the  plain,  "  we  shall  arrive  before  that  caravan!  " 

Ferguson  and  Kennedy  leaned  over,  and  saw  a  vast  mul- 
titude; there  were  more  than  150  camels  of  the  kind  which, 
for  twelve  golden  "  mutkals,"  march  from  Timbuctoo  to 
Tafilet,  with  a  load  of  500  lbs. 


<< 


RAPID  TRAVELING  375 

These  camels  of  the  Touaregs  are  of  the  best  breed. 
They  can  travel  from  three  to  seven  days  without  water,  and 
for  two  days  without  food ;  their  speed  excels  that  of  horses, 
and  they  obey  the  commands  of  the  "  khatir,"  or  leader  of 
the  caravan.  They  are  known  in  the  country  by  the  name 
of  "  Mehari." 

Such  were  the  details  furnished  by  the  doctor,  while  his 
companions  were  studying  this  multitude  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  traveling  over  the  yielding  sand  with  difficulty. 
The  wind  effaced  their  traces  almost  as  soon  as  they  had 
passed. 

Joe  asked  how  it  was  that  the  Arabs  succeeded  in  guiding 
themselves  in  the  desert,  and  reaching  the  wells  so  sparsely 
scattered  throughout  the  immense  solitudes. 

"  The  Arabs,"  replied  Ferguson,  "  have  naturally  a  won- 
derful instinct  for  finding  their  way — where  a  European 
would  be  entirely  puzzled  an  Arab  would  not  hesitate; 
a  small  stone,  a  pebble,  a  tuft  of  grass,  a  shadow,  the 
difference  in  the  sand,  will  suffice  for  their  safe  direction. 
During  the  night  they  guide  themselves  by  thg  polar  star; 
they  do  not  travel  more  than  two  miles  an  hour,  and  rest 
during  the  great  heat  of  the  day;  so  you  can  calculate  what 
time  they  take  to  traverse  the  Sahara,  a  desert  more  than 
900  miles  long." 

The  "  Victoria  "  had  by  this  time  disappeared  from  the 
wondering  gaze  of  the  Arabs,  who  envied  her  her  rapid 
progress.  In  the  evening  the  three  travelers  came  to  long. 
2°  20',  and  during  the  night  they  made  more  than  another 
degree. 

On  Monday  the  weather  changed  completely.  It  rained 
tremendously.  They  were  obliged  to  put  up  waterproof  to 
resist  this  deluge,  and  the  consequent  increase  of  weight  in 
the  balloon  and  the  car.  This  continual  rain  accounted  for 
the  marshes  and  swamps,  which  spread  over  the  surface  of 
the  country.  Here  vegetation  reappeared,  with  mimosas, 
baobabs,  and  tamarinds. 

Such  was  Souray,  with  its  villages  roofed  in  the  shape  of 
Arminian  caps.  There  were  few  mountains,  but  hills  suffi- 
cient to  make  ravines  and  reservoirs,  over  which  the  guinea- 
fowl  and  snipe  skimmed ;  here  and  there  an  impetuous  tor- 
rent crossed  the  road.  The  natives  crossed  these  by  passing 
hand  over  hand  from  one  branch  to  another  of  the  over- 


376  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

hanging  trees.  The  forests  now  gave  place  to  jungles,  in 
which  sported  the  alligator,  hippopotamus,  and  rhinoceros. 

"  It  will  not  be  long  before  we  see  the  Niger,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  the  country  usually  alters  in  the  neighborhood  of 
large  rivers.  These  moving  roads,  as  they  have  been  rightly 
termed,  first  brought  vegetation,  and  subsequently  civiliza- 
tion. Thus  in  its  course  of  2,500  miles,  the  Niger  has 
sprinkled  on  its  banks  the  largest  cities  in  Africa. 

"  Ah !  "  said  Joe,  "  that  reminds  me  of  the  story  of  the 
great  admirer  of  Providence,  who  extolled  the  great  care 
which  had  sent  rivers  flowing  through  great  cities !  " 

At  mid-day,  the  "  Victoria  "  passed  over  a  small  town  of 
wretched-looking  huts,  called  Gao,  which  had  been  formerly 
a  celebrated  capital. 

"  'Twas  here,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  Barth  crossed  the 
Niger  on  his  return  to  Timbuctoo.  This  was  a  famous 
stream  in  old  days — the  rival  of  the  Nile,  to  which  Pagan 
superstition  gave  celestial  origin.  Like  the  Nile,  it  has 
occupied  the  attention  of  travelers  for  ages,  and  like  it,  also, 
has  claimed  numerous  victims." 

The  Niger,  with  a  wide  stream,  ran  with  great  rapidity 
southwards;  but  the  travelers,  carried  along,  as  they  were, 
could  scarcely  note  its  curious  windings. 

"  I  wish  to  speak  about  this  river,"  said  Ferguson ;  "  it 
is  already  at  some  distance.  Under  the  names  of  Dhiouleba, 
Mayo,  Egghirreon,  Quorra,  and  others,  it  flows  through  an 
enormous  tract  of  country,  and  rivals  the  Nile  in  length. 
All  its  titles  signify  simply  *  The  River,'  according  to  the 
language  of  the  region  through  which  it  flows." 

"Has  Doctor  Barth  followed  this  route?"  asked  Ken- 
nedy. 

"  No,  Dick ;  when  he  departed  from  Lake  Tchad  he 
visited  the  chief  towns  of  Bornou,  and  crossed  the  Niger 
at  Say,  four  degrees  below  Gao.  He  then  penetrated  into 
the  midst  of  the  unexplored  region  enclosed  by  the  bend  of 
the  Niger,  and  after  eight  months  of  unheard-of  suffering, 
he  arrived  at  Timbuctoo,  where  we  shall  be  in  three  days  if 
the  wind  lasts  like  this." 

"Has  the  source  of  the  Niger  been  discovered?"  asked 
Joe. 

"  Long  ago,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  The  discovery  of 
the  Niger  and  its  affluents  attracted  numerous  expeditions, 


RAPID  TRAVELING  377 

of  which  I  can  mention  the  principal  ones.  From  1749  to 
1758  Adamson  surveyed  the  river  and  visited  Goree.  From 
1785  to  1788,  Goldberry  and  Geoff roy  penetrated  the  des- 
erts of  the  Senegambia  and  ascended  as  far  as  the  Maures 
country,  where  Saugnier,  Brisson,  Adam,  Riley,  Cochelet, 
and  many  others  were  murdered.  Then  there  was  the  cele- 
brated Mungo  Park,  the  friend  of  Walter  Scott,  and  a  Scot 
likewise.  Sent  out  by  the  African  Society  of  London,  in 
1795,  he  reached  Bambarra  and  the  Niger,  marched  500 
miles  with  a  slave  dealer,  discovered  the  Gambia  river,  and 
returned  to  England  in  1797.  On  the  30th  January,  1805, 
he  started  again  with  Anderson,  his  brother-in-law,  Scott, 
the  draughtsman,  and  thirty-five  soldiers,  revisited  the  Niger 
on  the  19th  August,  but  by  that  time,  owing  to  fatigue, 
privation,  ill-treatment,  bad  weather,  and  an  unhealthy 
country,  only  eleven  out  of  forty  Europeans  remained  alive. 
On  the  1 6th  November  the  last  letters  of  Mungo  Park 
reached  his  wife,  and  a  year  later  they  learnt,  through  a 
merchant,  that  the  unfortunate  traveler,  having  reached 
Boussa  on  the  Niger,  on  the  23rd  December,  his  boat  was 
upset  in  the  rapids,  and  that  he  had  been  murdered  by  the 
natives. 

"And  did  not  his  sad  fate  deter  others?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Dick,  for  then  they  had  not  only 
to  explore  the  river  but  to  find  the  travelers'  papers.  In 
the  year  18 16,  an  expedition  was  organized  in  London,  in 
which  Major  Gray  took  part,  which  arrived  at  Senegal, 
penetrated  into  Fonta  Djallon,  visited  the  Foullahs  and 
Manduignes,  and  returned  to  England  without  having 
achieved  anything  further.  In  1822,  Major  Laing  explored 
all  the  western  part  of  Africa,  bordering  upon  the  British 
possessions,  and  it  was  he  who  first  reached  the  sources 
of  the  Niger,  and  according  to  his  report  the  source  of 
this  immense  river  is  only  two  feet  wide !  " 

"  All  the  easier  to  jump  over! "  said  Joe. 

"  Yes,  easy  enough,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  If  we  can 
credit  tradition  though,  whoever  attempts  to  jump  over  this 
source  is  immediately  swallowed  up  in  the  act.  and  whoever 
wishes  to  draw  water  there  is  pushed  away  by  an  invisible 
hand." 

"I  suppose  we  needn't  believe  all  that  unless  we  like?" 
said  Joe. 


378  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"  Just  as  you  please.  Five  years  later  Major  Laing  jour- 
neyed across  the  Sahara  and  penetrated  up  to  Timbuctoo, 
and  was  strangled  some  miles  beyond  it  by  the  Oulad- 
Shiman,  who  wanted  to  become  a  Mussulman." 

"Another  victim!"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Then  a  brave  young  fellow  undertook,  with  his  limited 
resources,  and  actually  succeeded  in  making  the  most  won- 
derful of  modern  journeys.  I  refer  to  the  Frenchman,  Rene 
Caille.  After  frequent  trials  in  1819  and  1824,  he  set  out 
anew  upon  the  19th  April,  1827,  from  Rio  Nunez;  on  the 
3rd  August  he  arrived  at  Time,  so  completely  exhausted, 
that  he  could  not  resume  his  journey  for  six  months.  He 
then  joined  a  caravan,  and  protected  by  his  oriental  cos- 
tume, reached  the  Niger  on  the  loth  March,  entered  the 
town  of  Jeune,  took  boat  on  the  river  and  descended  it  as 
far  as  Timbuctoo,  where  he  arrived  on  the  30th  April. 

"Another  Frenchman,  Imbert,  in  the  year  1670,  and  ^n 
Englishman,  Robert  Adams,  in  18 10  had  perhaps  beheld 
this  curious  town;  but  Rene  Caille  is  entitled  to  the  credit 
of  being  the  first  European  who  brought  back  authentic 
reports.  On  the  4th  May  he  left  that  queen  of  the  desert; 
on  the  9th,  he  visited  the  very  place  where  Major  Laing 
had  been  killed;  on  the  19th,  he  arrived  at  El-Eraouan, 
and  left  that  flourishing  town  to  cross,  amid  a  thousand 
dangers,  the  vast  solitudes  included  between  the  Soudan 
and  the  northern  regions  of  Africa.  At  length  he  reached 
Tangier,  and  on  the  28th  September  he  embarked  for 
Toulon.  So,  in  nineteen  months,  notwithstanding  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety  days  of  sickness,  he  had  crossed  Africa 
from  west  to  north.  Ah !  if  Caille  had  been  born  in  Eng- 
land he  would  have  been  honored  as  the  greatest  traveler 
of  modern  times — as  the  equal  of  Mungo  Park.  But  in 
France  he  is  not  sufficiently  appreciated." 

"He  was  a  brave  fellow.  .What  became  of  him?" 
asked  Kennedy. 

"  He  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine,  worn  out  by  fatigue. 
It  was  thought  reward  sufficient  to  award  him  the  prize  of 
the  Geographical  Society  in  1828;  the  greatest  honor 
would  have  been  paid  him  in  England.  Finally,  while  he 
was  occupied  in  this  wonderful  journey,  an  Englishman 
started  on  the  same  enterprise,  with  as  much  courage,  but 
not  the  same  good  fortune.     This  was  Captain  Clapperton, 


RAPID  TRAVELING  379 

the  companion  of  Denham.  In  1829,  he  entered  Africa 
by  the  west,  at  the  Gulf  of  Benin;  he  took  up  the  traces  of 
Mungo  Park  and  Laing,  found  in  Boussa  the  documents 
relating  to  the  death  of  the  former  traveler,  and  arrived  at 
Sackatou  on  the  20th  of  August,  where  he  was  kept  a  pris- 
oner, and  subsequently  died  in  the  arms  of  his  faithful 
follower,  Richard  Lander. 

"And  what  became  of  this  Lander?"  asked  Joe,  who 
was  much  interested. 

"  He  regained  the  coast  and  returned  to  England,  bring- 
ing with  him  the  captain's  papers,  and  an  exact  account  of 
his  travels.  He  then  offered  his  services  to  the  Govern- 
ment to  complete  the  survey  of  the  Niger.  His  brother 
John  joined  him,  and  these  two,  from  1829  to  183 1,  re- 
descended  the  Niger  from  Boirssa  nearly  to  its  mouth,  de- 
scribing it  village  by  village,  and  mile  after  mile." 

''Then  these  brothers  escaped  the  usual  fate?"  said 
Kennedy. 

''  Yes,  for  the  time  at  least,  but  in  1833  Richard  under- 
took a  third  journey  to  the  Niger,  and  was  killed  by  an 
unknown  hand  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  river.  So  you 
see,  my  friends,  that  this  country  which  we  are  traversing 
has  witnessed  noble  acts  of  devotion,  which  have  but  too 
often  met  with  their  reward  in  death! " 


CHAPTER    XXXIX 

TIMBUCTOO 

During  the  monotony  of  the  journey  on  Monday,  Doc- 
tor Ferguson  took  pleasure  in  giving  his  companions  many 
details  respecting  the  country  they  were  passing  over. 
The  flat  ground  offered  no  obstacle  to  their  progress.  The 
only  care  the  doctor  had  was  caused  by  the  northeast  wind, 
which  blew  strongly,  and  carried  them  away  from  Tim- 
buctoo. 

The  Niger,  having  turned  towards  the  north  as  far  as 
that  town,  curves  roundly,  and  falls  into  the  Atlantic  in  a 
great  stream.  In  the  bend  the  country  is  very  varied — ^ 
sometimes  of  luxurious  fertility,  sometimes  of  great  barren- 
ness— uncultivated  plains  succeed  fields  of  maize,  which, 
in  their  turn,  are  followed  by  vast  heath-covered  tracts. 


38o  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

All  kinds  of  aquatic  birds,  pelicans,  teal,  kingfishers,  live 
in  hundreds  on  the  borders  of  the  torrents  and  pools.  A 
Touareg  camp  appeared  from  time  to  time,  in  which  the 
women  did  the  work  and  milked  their  camels  and  smoked 
like  so  many  chimneys. 

The  "  Victoria,"  at  eight  o'clock  p.  m._,  had  got  more  than 
200  miles  to  the  west,  and  the  travelers  were  then  witnesses 
to  a  magnificent  sight.  Some  of  the  moon's  rays  were 
bursting  through  the  clouds,  and  glinting  among  the  rain- 
drops, fell  upon  the  chain  of  Mount  Hombori.  Nothing 
could  be  more  strange  than  those  crests  of  basaltic  appear- 
ance. Their  profiles  stood  out  in  fantastic  outlines  against 
the  cloudy  sky — they  might  be  likened  to  the  legendary 
ruins  of  a  town  of  the  middle  ages,  or,  as  in  dark  nights, 
the  icebergs  of  the  Frozen  Ocean  appear  to  the  astonished 
beholder. 

"  There  is  a  site  for  the  *  Mysteries  of  Udolpho,'  "  said 
the  doctor ;  "  Mrs.  Radcliffe  could  not  have  depicted  these 
mountains  under  a  more  terrible  aspect." 

"  Faith,"  replied  Joe,  "  I  should  not  care  to  walk  at 
night  alone  in  this  ghostly  country.  If  it  were  not  so 
heavy  we  might  carry  all  this  place  into  Scotland.  It 
would  do  very  well  on  the  border  of  Loch  Lomond,  and 
tourists  would  rush  in  hundreds  to  see  it." 

"  Our  balloon  is  not  large  enough  to  admit  of  your  idea 
being  carried  into  execution.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  our 
direction  is  changing.  All  right;  the  sprites  of  the  place 
are  rather  amiable  in  sending  us  a  breeze  from  the  south- 
east, and  putting  us  in  a  proper  direction." 

In  fact  the  "  Victoria  "  then  resumed  her  route  more 
to  the  north,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  it  passed 
above  the  network  of  canals,  torrents,  and  rivers,  a  concat- 
enation of  the  tributaries  of  the  Niger.  Many  of  these 
canals  were  covered  by  thick  grass  like  prairie  grass.  Here 
the  doctor  found  out  Earth's  route  when  he  embarked  to 
descend  to  Timbuctoo.  Of  great  breadth,  at  this  point  the 
Niger  flows  between  its  banks  rich  with  crucifers  and  tama- 
rinds ;  gazelles  bounded  away  in  troops,  plunging  their  long 
curled  horns  into  the  high  grasses,  where  the  alligators  lay 
watching  silently  for  their  prey. 

Long  files  of  asses  and  camels,  loaded  with  goods  from 
Jeune,  were  forcing  their  way  under  the  thick  trees.     An 


TIMBUCTOO  381 

amphitheater  of  small  houses  appeared  at  the  bend  of  the 
river;  on  the  roofs  and  terraces  was  collected  all  the  prov- 
ender received  from  the  neighboring  districts. 

"  There  is  Kabra,"  cried  the  doctor,  joyfully.  "  It  is 
the  port  of  Timbuctoo,  the  town  is  not  five  miles  dis- 
tant." 

"  Are  you  satisfied  now,  sir?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  Delighted,  my  lad." 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Joe. 

In  two  hours,  the  "  Queen  of  the  Desert,"  the  mysterious 
Timbuctoo — which  at  one  time  possessed,  like  Rome  and 
Athens,  its  professors  and  philosophers — unfolded  itself  be- 
fore the  travelers'  eyes. 

Ferguson  perceived  that  Earth's  plan  of  it  was  correct 
in  its  minutest  detail.  The  town  describes  a  vast  triangle 
upon  a  plain  of  white  sand.  The  apex  is  towards  the 
north.  There  is  nothing  in  the  neighborhood  but  a  little 
grass,  some  mimosas,  and  stunted  trees. 

As  for  the  appearance  of  Timbuctoo,  its  streets  were 
narrow,  and  bordered  with  one-storied  houses  made  of 
bricks,  and  huts  of  straw  and  reeds;  the  former  of  a  conical 
shape,  the  latter  square.  Over  the  terraces  some  of  the 
inhabitants  were  lazily  extended,  robed  in  gaudy  colors, 
lance  or  musket  in  hand. 

No  women,  however,  were  visible  at  that  hour. 

"But  it  is  said  they  are  beautiful,"  added  the  doctor. 
"  Do  you  see  the  three  towers  of  the  three  mosques,  which 
are  all  that  are  left  of  a  great  number.  The  town  is  much 
divested  of  its  former  splendor.  At  the  apex  of  the  tri- 
angle rises  the  Mosque  of  Sankore,  with  its  ranges  of 
galleries  supported  by  arcades  of  a  very  pure  style.  Fur- 
ther on  is  the  quarter  of  Sana  Gungu,  the  mosque  of  Sidi 
Yahia,  and  some  two-storied  houses.  There  are  no  palaces 
nor  monuments.  The  sheik  is  only  a  trader,  and  his  resi- 
dence, a  shop." 

"  It  appears  to  me,"  said  Kennedy,  "  that  there  are 
some  broken  ramparts." 

"  They  were  destroyed  by  the  Foullanes  in  1826,  when 
the  town  was  larger  by  a  third;  for  Timbuctoo,  from  the 
eleventh  century,  was  an  object  coveted  generally,  and  be- 
longed successively  to  the  Touaregs,  to  the  Sourayens,  to 
the  Marocuins,   and  Foullanes;  and  this  great  center  of 


382  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

civilization,  where  a  savant  named  Ahmed  Baba  possessed, 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  a  library  of  1,600  manuscripts,  is 
now  nothing  but  a  warehouse  for  the  commerce  of  Cen- 
tral Africa. 

The  town  appears  to  be  given  up  to  carelessness;  it  is 
impregnated  with  the  supineness  which  is  epidemic  with 
decaying  cities.  Great  heaps  of  rubbish  were  piled  up  in 
the  outskirts,  and  these,  with  the  market  hill,  formed  the 
only  undulations  of  the  ground. 

As  the  "  Victoria  "  passed  by  there  was  some  little  move- 
ment; the  drums  were  beaten,  but  scarcely  had  the  last 
learned  man  had  time  to  observe  this  novel  phenomenon 
when  the  travelers,  impelled  by  the  wind  from  the  desert, 
were  wafted  along  the  river,  and  Timbuctoo  was  nothing 
more  than  a  souvenir  of  their  rapid  journey. 

"  Now,"  said  the  doctor,  "  Heaven  may  guide  us  where 
it  pleases." 

"  Provided  it  be  towards  the  west,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"Well,"  said  Joe,  "if  it  should  happen  to  us  to  be  sent 
back  the  way  we  have  come,  and  to  cross  the  ocean  to 
America,  that  would  not  trouble  me." 

"  We  must  first  have  the  power  to  do  so,  Joe." 
And  how  is  that  wanting?" 

Gas,  my  boy,  gas.  The  ascensional  force  of  the 
balloon  is  sensibly  diminishing;  and  we  shall  have  to  use 
great  care  to  reach  the  coast.  I  shall  even  be  compelled 
to  throw  out  ballast.     We  are  too  heavy." 

"  Such  are  the  results  of  doing  nothing,  sir.  By  lying 
here  all  day,  like  a  sluggard,  in  a  hammock,  we  get  fat  and 
heavy.  It  is  a  lazy  journey;  and  when  we  return  we  shall 
find  ourselves  very  stout." 

"  These  are  remarks  worthy  of  Joe,"  replied  Kennedy. 
"  But  wait  until  the  end :  how  do  you  know  what  Heaven 
has  in  store  for  us  ?  We  are  still  a  long  way  from  the  ter- 
mination of  our  journey.  Where  do  you  expect  to  touch 
the  coast,  Samuel  ?  " 

"  I  should  be  puzzled  to  answer,  Dick ;  we  are  at  the 
mercy  of  variable  winds,  but  I  shall  consider  it  fortunate  if 
we  reach  Sierra  Leone  or  Portendick.  We  may  meet 
friends  in  those  neighborhoods." 

"  And  glad  to  shake  hands  with  them ;  but  are  we  fol- 
lowing the  desired  route?" 


ti 


TIMBUCTOO  383 

"Scarcely,  Dick;  look  at  the  compass;  we  are  tending 
south  towards  the  sources  of  the  Niger." 

"  We  shall  have  a  capital  opportunity  to  discover  them 
then,  if  they  have  not  been  already  explored,"  said  Joe. 
"  Is  it  the  etiquette  not  to  find  any  more  of  them?" 

"  No,  Joe;  but  be  easy.     I  hope  not  to  go  so  far." 

At  nightfall  the  doctor  threw  out  the  last  sacks  of  bal- 
last. The  "Victoria"  rose;  the  blow-pipe,  although  in 
full  action,  could  scarcely  maintain  her.  She  was  then  at 
sixty  miles  to  the  south  of  Timbuctoo,  and  next  day  saw 
the  travelers  on  the  borders  of  the  Niger,  not  far  from 
Lake  Debo. 

CHAPTER   XL 

STILL  TO  THE  SOUTH 

The  course  of  the  river  was  divided  by  large  islands,  and 
in  those  narrow  branches  it  ran  with  a  swift  current.  On 
one  of  these  islets  some  shepherds'  huts  were  erected,  but 
it  was  impossible  to  take  the  exact  bearings,  for  the  speed 
of  the  "  Victoria  "  kept  increasing.  Unfortunately  it  in- 
clined more  to  the  south,  and  very  soon  passed  over  Lake 
Debo. 

Ferguson  sought  for  other  currents  at  different  eleva- 
tions, but  in  vain.  So  he  abandoned  the  attempt,  which 
had  still  more  diminished  the  gas,  as  the  dilation  pressed 
it  against  the  failing  envelope  of  the  balloon. 

He  said  nothing,  but  began  to  feel  very  uneasy.  The 
obstinate  wind  blowing  to  the  south  had  overturned  all  his 
calculations.  He  did  not  know  what  to  think.  If  he  did 
not  reach  English  or  French  territory,  what  would  become 
of  them  in  the  midst  of  the  barbarians  infesting  the  coast 
of  Guinea?  How  could  they  obtain  a  vessel  to  take  them 
thence  to  England?  And  the  actual  direction  of  the  wind 
was  hurrying  them  towards  the  kingdom  of  Dahomey, 
amongst  the  most  savage  tribes,  at  the  mercy  of  a  king  who, 
at  public  displays,  sacrifices  thousands  of  human  victims. 
There  they  would  be  lost. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  balloon  was  rapidly  falling,  and 
the  doctor  felt  it.  However,  the  weather  cleared  a  little, 
and  he  hoped  that  the  termination  of  the  rain  would  bring 
about  a  change  in  the  atmospheric  currents. 


384  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

He  was  disagreeably  reminded  of  the  circumstance  by 
Joe  saying: 

"  Well,  the  rain  is  heavy  enough,  but  this  time  there  is 
going  to  be  a  deluge,  if  we  may  judge  by  the  cloud  now 
approaching  us." 

"  Another  cloud ! "  said  Ferguson. 

"  A  regular  big  fellow  this  time,"  replied  Kennedy. 

"I  have  never  seen  such  a  one,"  replied  Joe;  "it  seems 
to  have  been  laid  out  with  rule  and  line." 

"  I  can  breathe  again,"  replied  the  doctor,  putting  down 
the  telescope.     "  It  is  not  a  cloud  after  all." 

"  What  ?  "  exclaimed  Joe. 

"  No,  it  is  a  swarm " 

"Well?" 


"  A  swarm  of  locusts." 
"That  a  swarm  of  locusts? 


"  Yes,  of  millions  of  locusts,  which  pass  over  the  ground 
like  a  waterspout,  and  very  unfortunately  for  the  district, 
for  if  they  alight  it  will  be  devastated." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  that." 

"  Just  wait  a  little,  Joe ;  in  ten  minutes  we  shall  have 
met  the  cloud,  and  then  you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

Ferguson  was  right;  this  thick  cloud,  extending  for 
many  miles,  came  upon  them  with  a  deafening  noise,  cast- 
ing an  immense  shadow  on  the  ground.  It  proved  to  be 
an  innumerable  host  of  those  grasshoppers  known  as  field- 
crickets.  At  a  hundred  paces  from  the  "  Victoria  "  they 
alighted  upon  a  green  expanse;  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later 
the  mass  again  took  flight,  and  the  travelers  could  then 
perceive  that  the  trees  and  bushes  were  completely  stripped 
— 'the  fields  looked  as  if  they  had  been  mown.  Not  even  a 
severe  winter  could  do  more  damage. 

"Well,  Joe?" 

"  Well,  sir,  it  is  extraordinary,  but  quite  natural. 
Though  the  locust  is  small,  the  numbers  make  him  im- 
portant." 

"  It  is  a  terrible  calamity — worse  than  hail  in  its  ef- 
fects," said  Kennedy. 

"  And  it  is  impossible  to  guard  against  them,"  said 
Ferguson.  "  The  natives  sometimes  have  conceived  the 
idea  of  burning  the  forests,  even  the  crops,  in  order  to 
arrest  the  flight  of  these  insects;  but  the  leading  files  flew; 

V.  I  Verne 


STILL   TO    THE    SOUTH  385 

into  the  flames  and  actually  extinguished  them  by  mere 
force  of  numbers,  so  that  the  rest  passed  in  safety.  Hap- 
pily, in  these  countries,  there  is  a  compensation  for  their 
ravages — the  natives  catch  and  eat  them  with  avidity." 

"  They  are  the  shrimps  of  the  air,  which,"  said  Joe, 
"  as  an  experience,  I  regret  not  having  tasted." 

The  country  became  more  swampy  as  they  proceeded ; 
the  forest  gave  place  to  isolated  miles  of  trees;  upon  the 
banks  of  the  river  they  perceived  some  tobacco  plantations, 
and  marshes  thick  with  grass.  On  a  large  island  was  the 
town  of  Jeune,  with  the  two  towers  of  its  mosque  built  of 
mud,  which  gave  harbor  to  hundreds  of  swallows,  whose 
nests  exhaled  a  most  unpleasant  smell.  The  tops  of  trees 
appeared  between  the  houses,  and  even  during  the  night 
the  town  seemed  very  busy.  Jeune  is  really  a  very  indus- 
trious town,  and  furnishes  Timbuctoo  with  all  its  needs; 
its  boats  and  its  caravans  transport  thither  the  various  pro- 
ductions of  its  industry. 

"  If  it  would  not  have  prolonged  our  journey  too  much," 
said  the  doctor,  "  I  should  have  made  an  attempt  to  descend 
in  this  town.  We  might  see  more  than  one  Arab  who  had 
traveled  to  France  or  England,  and  who  is  not  unacquainted 
with  our  method  of  locomotion.  But  it  would  not  be 
prudent." 

"  We  can  call  again  during  our  next  excursion,"  said 
Joe,  laughing. 

"  Besides,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  if  I  do  not  mistake, 
the  wind  has  a  tendency  to  blow  from  the  east.  We  can- 
not afford  to  lose  such  a  chance." 

The  doctor  threw  overboard  some  useless  articles-^ 
empty  bottles,  and  an  old  preserved  meat  box — he  thus 
succeeded  in  raising  the  "  Victoria "  into  a  zone  more 
suitable  for  his  plans.  At  4  a.  m.  the  first  rays  of  the  sun 
lighted  up  Sego,  the  capital  of  Bambara,  easily  to  be  known 
by  the  four  towns  composing  it,  its  Moorish  mosqikes,  and 
the  continual  movement  of  the  ferry-boats  used  in  trans- 
porting the  occupants  to  the  various  quarters.  But  the 
travelers  were  not  more  seen  than  they  themselves  saw, 
and  fled  rapidly  and  directly  to  the  northwest,  as  the  doc- 
tor's fears  calmed  down  by  degrees. 

"  Two  days  more  in  this  direction,  and  at  this  pace,  will 
see  us  at  the  Senegal  River,"  said  he. 


386  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

"In  a  friendly  country?"  asked  Kennedy. 

"Not  altogether;  at  a  pinch,  if  the  'Victoria'  fail  us, 
we  must  gain  some  French  settlement.  But  if  we  can 
hold  on  for  a  couple  of  hundred  miles,  we  shall  arrive  at 
the  east  coast  comfortably." 

"  And  that  will  be  the  end  of  it,"  said  Joe.  "  So  much 
the  worse.  If  it  were  not  for  the  telling  of  it,  I  should 
never  wish  to  put  foot  on  earth  again.  Do  you  think  peo- 
ple will  believe  us,  sir?  " 

"  Who  knows,  my  brave  Joe  ?  However,  there  is  one 
indisputable  fact.  Thousands  of  people  witnessed  our  de- 
parture from  one  side  of  Africa,  and  thousands  will  see  us 
descend  on  the  other." 

"  In  that  case  it  will  be  difficult  to  doubt  our  having 
crossed  the  continent." 

"  Ah,  sir,"  replied  Joe,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "  I  shall  often 
regret  that  golden  ore.  Look  what  weight  it  would  have 
given  to  our  narratives.  A  grain  of  gold  for  each  auditor, 
I  should  have  had  a  pretty  big  crowd  to  listen  to  and  even 
to  admire  me." 


CHAPTER    XLI 

HIGH    MOUNTAINS 

On  the  27th  of  May,  at  9  a.  m.,  the  country  presented  a 
new  aspect.  The  long  slopes  rose  into  hills  which  prom- 
ised mountains.  It  was  necessary  to  cross  the  chain  which 
separated  the  basins  of  the  Niger  and  Senegal,  and  deter- 
mine the  fall  of  the  waters  to  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  or  Cape 
Verd. 

As  far  as  Senegal  the  country  is  reported  as  dangerous. 
Doctor  Ferguson  knew  that,  from  the  reports  of  his  prede- 
cessors— they  had  suffered  a  thousand  privations  and  en- 
countered a  thousand  dangers  amongst  these  barbarians. 
The  deadly  climate  carried  off  the  majority  of  Mungo 
Park's  companions.  Ferguson  was  therefore  more  than 
ever  decided  not  to  set  foot  upon  this  inhospitable 
soil. 

But  he  had  not  a  moment's  rest.  The  "  Victoria  "  was 
settling  down  in  a  most  unmistakable  manner.  It  became 
necessary  to  throw  out  a  number  of  articles  more  or  less 


STILL  TO   THE   SOUTH  387 

useless,  and  particularly  when  there  was  a  mountain  to  be 
cleared. 

This  continued  for  more  than  120  miles;  they  got  tired 
of  ascending  and  descending.  The  balloon,  like  the  stone 
of  Sisyphus,  kept  falling  back  continually.  The  contour 
of  the  balloon  already  was  losing  its  roundness,  and  the 
wind  hollowed  out  large  "  pockets  "  in  its  loose  covering. 

Kennedy  could  not  help  remarking  this. 

"  Is  there  a  hole  in  the  balloon?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,"  replied  the  doctor ;  "  but  the  gutta-percha  has 
evidently  become  softened  by  the  heat,  and  the  hydrogen 
escapes." 

"  How  can  we  prevent  that?  " 

"  It  is  impossible  to  do  so.  Let  us  lighten  the  balloon ; 
it  is  our  only  way.     Throw  out  all  we  can  spare." 

"But  what?"  asked  the  Scot,  looking  round  the  half- 
denuded  car. 

"  The  tent — it  is  very  heavy." 

Joe,  whom  this  order  concerned,  mounted  above  the 
ring  which  fastened  the  cords  to  the  netting,  and  quickly 
detached  the  thick  curtains  and  threw  them  down. 

"  There  is  a  treat  for  a  whole  tribe  of  negroes,"  he  said. 
"  There  is  sufficient  to  clothe  a  million  of  them ;  they  are 
very  sparing  of  the  material." 

The  balloon  rose  a  little,  but  it  soon  became  evident  that 
it  again  was  approaching  the  ground. 

"  Let  us  descend,  and  see  if  we  cannot  repair  the  en- 
velope," said  Kennedy. 

"  I  tell  you,  Dick,  we  have  no  means  to  repair  it." 

*'  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

"  We  will  sacrifice  everything  not  absolutely  indispens- 
able. I  wish  at  all  cost  to  avoid  a  halt  in  these  regions. 
The  forests  we  skimmed  just  now  are  nothing  but  dens." 

"  What,  of  lions  or  hyenas?"  asked  Joe. 

"  Worse  than  that — of  men,  and  the  most  cruel  men  in 
Africa." 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  " 

"  From  travelers  who  have  preceded  us ;  then  the  French 
who  occupy  the  colony  of  Senegal,  have  had  dealings  with 
the  neighboring  tribes.  Under  Colonel  Faidherbe  a  re- 
connaissance was  made  into  the  country ;  officers,  such  as 
Pascal,  Vincent,  and  Lambert,  have  brought  back  the  pre- 


2^8  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

cious  documents  of  their  expeditions.  They  explored  the 
country  formed  by  the  bend  of  the  Senegal,  where  war  and 
pillage  have  left  only  ruin." 

"  How  did  it  come  to  pass?  " 

"  This  way.  In  1854,  a  marabout,  of  Fouta,  named 
Al-Hadji,  said  he  was  inspired  by  Mahomet,  and  incited  all 
the  tribes  to  war  against  the  infidels,  viz.,  the  Europeans. 
He  carried  desolation  and  destruction  between  the  Senegal 
and  its  affluent  the  Falune.  Three  bands  of  fanatics, 
guided  by  him,  marched  through  the  country  with  fire  and 
sword.  He  even  advanced  into  the  valley  of  the  Niger  to 
the  town  of  Sego,  which  was  threatened  for  a  long  time. 
In  1857  he  went  up  northwards  and  invested  Fort  Medina, 
built  by  the  French  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  This  place 
was  defended  by  a  hero,  Paul  Holl,  who  for  many  months, 
without  food  or  supplies,  held  out  till  Colonel  Faidherbe 
came  to  his  rescue.  Then  Al-Hadji  and  his  band  repassed 
the  Senegal  and  returned  into  Koarta  to  continue  their 
rapine  and  murder.  Now  this  is  the  country  to  which  he 
has  fled  with  his  troops  of  bandits,  and  I  assure  you  I 
would  rather  not  fall  into  their  hands." 

"  We  shall  not  do  so,"  said  Joe,  "  if  we  have  to  sacrifice 
our  boots  to  lighten  the  *  Victoria.'  " 

"  We  are  not  far  from  the  river,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  but  I 
foresee  our  balloon  will  not  carry  us  even  so  far." 

"  If  we  arrive  on  the  banks,  that  will  be  something,"  said 
Kennedy. 

"  That  is  what  we  must  try  to  do,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  but 
one  thing  worries  me," 

"What  is  that?" 

"  We  have  to  cross  some  mountains,  and  that  will  be  a 
difficult  operation,  since  I  cannot  increase  the  ascensional 
force  of  the  balloon,  even  by  the  greatest  possible  heat." 

"  Wait,"  said  Kennedy,  "  we  shall  see." 

"  Poor  '  Victoria ! '  "  said  Joe.  "  I  am  as  attached  to  it 
as  a  sailor  to  his  ship,  and  I  shall  not  leave  it  without 
regret.  It  is  not  what  it  was  at  the  outset,  certainly;  but 
then  we  need  not  speak  evil  of  it.  It  has  done  us  excel- 
lent service,  and  it  will  break  my  heart  to  abandon  it." 

"  Rest  assured,  Joe,  if  we  do  abandon  it,  it  will  be  against 
our  will.  It  will  serve  us  to  the  best  of  its  ability.  I  only 
ask  for  twenty-four  hours  longer." 


ti 


HIGH  MOUNTAINS  389 

"It  is  exhausted,"  said  Joe,  looking  at  it  carefully;  "it 
is  *  done  up,'  its  life  has  departed.     Poor  balloon!  " 

"  If  I  mistake  not,"  said  Kennedy,  "  I  can  see  the  moun- 
tains of  which  you  spoke,  Samuel." 

"  Those  are  they,  no  doubt,"  said  the  doctor,  having  ex- 
amined them  with  his  glass.  "  They  appear  to  me  to  be 
very  high;  we  shall  have  some  trouble  to  clear  them." 

"  Cannot  we  avoid  them?  " 

"I  do  not  think  so,  Dick;  look  at  the  extent  of  them, 
nearly  half  the  horizon." 

"  They  seem  to  enclose  us  on  all  sides,"  said  Joe. 

"  We  must  cross  over  them,"  said  the  doctor. 

These  dangerous  obstacles  appeared  to  approach  with 
extreme  rapidity,  or  rather  the  "Victoria"  approached 
them,  and  she  must  ascend  at  any  risk. 

"  Empty  our  water-cask,"  said  Ferguson,  "  we  have 
enough  for  to-day." 

"It  is  done,"  said  Joe. 
Is  the  balloon  relieved  at  all  ?  "  inquired  Kennedy. 
A  little,  about  fifty  feet  higher,"  replied  the  doctor, 
who  did  not  take  his  eyes  from  the  barometer,  "  but  that  is 
riot  sufficient." 

The  peaks  now  appeared  ready  to  fall  upon  the  travelers, 
who  were  very  far  from  the  tops.  The  water  for  the 
blow-pipe  was  then  thrown  out,  they  only  kept  a  few  pints, 
but  this  was  still  insufficient. 

"  We  must  pass  them,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Throw  out  the  chests,  they  are  empty,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Out  with  them." 

"  There  they  go,"  said  Joe,  "  it  is  to  die  by  inches," 

"As  for  you,  Joe,  don't  you  attempt  to  repeat  your  de- 
voted act  of  the  other  day.  Whatever  happens,  swear  you 
will  not  leave  us !  " 

"All  right,  sir,  we  will  not  separate." 

The  "  Victoria  "  had  regained  a  good  height,  but  the 
mountain  peak  still  overlooked  her.  It  was  a  straight 
edge,  which  terminated  in  a  regular  peaked  rampart.  It 
was  then  more  than  200  feet  above  the  travelers. 

"  In  ten  minutes  our  car  will  be  in  contact  with  those 
rocks  if  we  cannot  pass  them." 

"  Well,  then,  Mr.  Samuel,"  said  Joe. 

"  Keep  only  the  pemmican,  throw  out  all  the  rest.' 


390  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

The  balloon  was  again  lightened  by  about  fifty  pounds,  it 
rose  sensibly,  but  not  far,  and  not  above  the  mountains. 
The  situation  was  terrible.  The  "  Victoria  "  was  going  at 
a  great  rate,  and  the  expected  shock  they  knew  would 
break  her  to  pieces. 

The  doctor  looked  round  the  car.     It  was  almost  empty. 

"If  necessary,  Dick,  you  must  throw  the  guns  out." 

"  Sacrifice  my  rifles !  "  exclaimed  the  Scot. 

"  My  friend,  if  I  ask  you,  it  will  only  be  when  abso- 
lutely necessary. 

"Samuel!" 

"  The  arms  and  ammunition  may  cost  us  our  lives." 

"  We  are  close  now,"  cried  Joe. 

"Ten  fathoms!" 

The  mountain  was  then  ten  fathoms  higher  than  the 
"  Victoria." 

Joe  took  the  rugs,  and  the  boxes  of  ammunition,  and, 
without  telling  Kennedy,  threw  them  over. 

The  balloon  rose  and  passed  the  dreaded  peak,  the 
silk  caught  the  sun's  rays  overhead,  but  the  car  was  still 
below  the  rocks,  against  which  it  must  inevitably  be 
broken. 

"  Kennedy,  Kennedy ! "  cried  the  doctor,  "  throw  out 
the  arms,  or  we  are  lost." 

"Wait,  Mr.  Dick,"  said  Joe,  "wait  a  moment!"  And 
Kennedy,  turning  round,  saw  him  disappear  over  the  side 
of  the  car. 

"  Joe !  Joe !  "  he  cried. 

"  Unhappy  man !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor. 

The  top  of  the  mountain  was  at  this  place  about  twenty 
feet  wide,  and  the  other  side  was  less  steep.  The  car  ar- 
rived at  the  edge  of  this  plateau,  and  glided  along  upon  the 
pebbles,  which  were  ground  beneath  it 

"  We  are  passing — we  are  passing — we  have  passed !  " 
cried  a  voice  which  made  Ferguson's  heart  bound. 

The  brave  Joe  was  holding  on  by  his  hands  to  the  bot- 
tom of  the  car  and  ran  along  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
thus  relieving  the  balloon  of  his  weight;  but  he  was  obliged 
to  hold  very  tightly,  for  the  balloon  was  inclined  to  escape 
him. 

When  he  reached  the  opposite  side,  and  the  precipice 
opened  before  him,  Joe,  by  a  vigorous  effort,  raised  him- 


HIGH  MOUNTAINS  391 

self  up,  and,  clutching  the  cordage,  remounted  beside  his 
companions. 

"  It  was  not  more  difficult  than  that,"  he  said. 

"  My  brave  Joe — my  friend !  "  exclaimed  the  doctor, 
with  emotion. 

"  It  was  not  for  you  I  did  it,"  said  Joe,  "  it  was  for  Mr. 
Dick's  rifle.  I  have  owed  him  something  ever  since  that 
affair  with  the  Arab.  I  like  to  pay  my  debts,  and  now  we 
are  quits,"  added  he,  handing  the  sportsman  his  favorite 
gun.  "  I  should  have  been  very  sorry  to  have  seen  you 
separated." 

Kennedy  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand  without  speak- 
ing. 

The  "  Victoria "  had  only  to  descend,  which  was  not 
difficult.  It  was  soon  within  200  feet  of  the  ground  and  in 
equilibrium.  The  earth  showed  traces  of  convulsion,  and 
presented  many  hillocks  very  difficult  to  avoid  at  night  with 
a  balloon  not  under  control.  Night  fell  rapidly,  and,  not- 
withstanding his  objections,  the  doctor  was  constrained  to 
halt  till  morning. 

"  We  will  search  for  a  favorable  place,"  said  he. 
Ah,"  replied  Kennedy,  "you  have  decided  at  last?" 
Yes.     I  have  been  thinking  of  a  plan  which  I  am  about 
to  put  into  execution.     It  is  only  six  o'clock.     We  have 
plenty  of  time.     Throw  out  the  grapnels,  Joe." 

Joe  obeyed,  and  the  two  anchors  hung  suspended  from 
the  car. 

"  I  can  see  a  vast  forest,"  said  the  doctor,  "  we  shall  run 
above  it,  and  make  fast  to  some  tree.  I  would  not  consent 
to  pass  the  night  on  the  ground  for  anything." 

"  Why  cannot  we  descend  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  For  what  reason  ?  I  repeat  it  would  be  dangerous  to 
separate.  Besides,  I  require  your  aid  in  a  difficult  ope- 
ration." 

The  "  Victoria  "  skimmed  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  did 
not  fail  to  "pull  up"  quickly;  the  anchors  had  caught,  the 
wind  fell  as  evening  advanced,  and  the  balloon  remained  al- 
most motionless  above  the  vast  extent  of  foliage  formed  by 
the  tops  of  the  forest  of  sycamores. 


ft 


it 
« 


CHAPTER   XLII 

A  LAST  SACRIFICE 

Doctor  Ferguson  ascertained  his  position  by  the  obser- 
vation of  the  stars,  and  found  that  he  was  scarcely  twenty- 
five  miles  from  the  Senegal. 

"All  that  we  can  do,  my  friends,"  said  he,  pointing  to 
the  map,  "  is  to  cross  the  river ;  but  as  there  are  no  boats  we 
must  cross  it  in  the  balloon,  and  for  that  purpose  we  must 
lighten  it  still  more." 

"  But  I  do  not  see  how  we  can,"  replied  Kennedy,  who 
Vras  anxious  on  the  score  of  his  guns,  "  unless  one  of  us 
decides  to  sacrifice  himself  and  remain  behind;  and  as  it  is 
my  turn,  I  claim  that  honor." 

Why,"  cried  Joe,  "  is  it  not  my  place?  " 
It  is  not  a  case  of  throwing  yourself  down,  my  friend," 
said  Kennedy;  "but  to  gain  the  coast  of  Africa  on  foot; 
now  I  am  a  good  walker,  a  sportsman." 

"I  will  never  agree  to  that,"  said  Joe. 

"  Your  generous  contention  is  useless,  my  brave  friends," 
said  Ferguson.  "  I  trust  we  shall  not  be  put  to  such 
straits;  besides,  in  case  of  necessity  we  must  not  separate  at 
all;  we  must  cross  the  country  together." 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Joe,  "  a  little  walk  will  do  us  good." 

"  But  first,"  said  the  doctor,  "  we  must  do  our  utmost  to 
lighten  the  '  Victoria.'  " 

"  By  what  means  ?  "  asked  Kennedy.  "  I  am  curious  to 
know." 

"  We  must  throw  away  the  dilating  apparatus,  the 
Buntzen  pile,  and  the  coil;  in  that  there  is  nearly  900  lbs. 
weight  to  drag  with  us." 

"  But,  Samuel,  how  then  shall  you  obtain  the  expansion 
of  the  gas?  " 

"  I  shall  not  obtain  it.     We  must  do  without." 

"  But r 

"  Listen  to  me,  my  friends.  I  have  calculated  to  a 
nicety  what  ascensional  force  is  left  in  the  balloon.  It  is 
sufficient  to  carry  us  with  the  few  articles  still  remaining; 
we  weigh  scarcely  500  lbs,,  including  those  two  grapnels, 
which  I  wish  to  keep." 

"  My  dear  Samuel,"  replied  the  Scot,  "  you  are  more 
competent  than  we  in  such  cases — you  are  the  best  judge. 
Tell  us  what  we  ought  to  do,  and  we  will  do  it." 

392 


A  LAST  SACRIFICE  393 

"  I  am  of  course  at  your  orders,  sir." 

"  I  repeat,  my  friends,  grave  though  the  decision  may 
be,  we  must  sacrifice  our  apparatus." 

"Let  us  sacrifice  it,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Let  us  go  to  work,  then,"  said  Joe. 

It  was  by  no  means  an  easy  matter,  it  was  necessary  to 
remove  the  apparatus  piece  by  piece.  First  the  "  mixing  " 
chest  was  got  up — then  the  blow-pipe,  and  at  last  the  chest 
in  which  the  decomposition  of  the  water  took  place.  It 
required  the  united  strength  of  the  travelers  to  remove  the 
recipients  from  the  bottom  of  the  car  in  which  they  were 
firmly  let  in;  but  Kennedy  was  so  powerful,  Joe  so  skillful, 
and  Ferguson  so  ingenious,  that  they  succeeded  at  last. 
The  various  pieces  were  successively  thrown  overboard,  and 
they  disappeared,  making  large  fissures  in  the  foliage  of 
the  sycamores. 

"  The  negroes  will  be  considerably  astonished,"  said  Joe, 
"at  seeing  such  articles  in  the  woods;  they  will  very  likely 
make  idols  of  them." 

At  last  they  were  obliged  to  remove  the  pipes  fastened 
in  the  balloon,  and  which  had  been  attached  to  the  ser- 
pentine. Joe  cut  the  joints  of  the  india-rubber  some  feet 
above  the  car,  but  as  to  the  pipes  it  was  more  difficult,  for 
they  were  fixed  at  the  upper  end  by  brass  wire  to  the  rings 
of  the  safety-valve  itself. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Joe  displayed  his  skill;  with 
bare  feet,  so  as  not  to  tear  the  envelope,  he  ascended  by 
the  netting,  and,  notwithstanding  the  oscillation,  climbed  up 
to  the  top  of  the  balloon.  There,  after  much  difficulty, 
holding  by  one  hand  to  the  slippery  surface,  he  detached 
the  screws  which  fastened  the  pipes.  They  were  then 
easily  taken  down  through  the  lower  part  of  the  balloon  and 
the  apertures  hermetically  fastened  up.  The  "  Victoria," 
thus  relieved  of  a  considerable  weight,  rose  in  the  air  and 
tugged  hard  at  the  anchors. 

At  midnight  this  work  was  successfully  accomplished, 
with  much  labor,  however.  A  hasty  repast  was  eaten,  con- 
sisting of  pemmican  and  cold  grog,  for  the  doctor  had  no 
heat  to  put  at  Joe's  disposal. 

Joe  and  Kennedy  were  overcome  with  fatigue. 

"  Lie  down  and  sleep,  my  friends,"  said  Ferguson.  "  I 
will  take  the  first  watch.     At  two  o'clock  I  will  wake  Ken- 


394  FIVE  .WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

nedy;  at  four  Kennedy  will  wake  Joe;  at  six  we  shall  be 
off,  and  may  Heaven  guard  us  through  this  last  day !  " 

Without  saying  anything,  the  doctor's  two  companions' 
lay  down  at  the  bottom,  of  the  car  and  slept  profoundly. 

The  night  was  calm;  some  clouds  passed  over  the  moon, 
whose  rays  at  that  time  scarce  broke  the  obscurity.  Fer- 
guson, leaning  against  the  car,  looked  about  in  all  direc- 
tions; he  steadily  watched  the  dark  carpet  of  foliage  which 
lay  spread  beneath  and  intercepted  his  view  of  the  ground. 
The  least  noise  appeared  to  him  suspicious,  and  he  sought 
for  reasons  for  even  a  trembling  of  the  leaves.  He  was 
in  that  over-excited  state  of  mind  which  solitude  renders 
more  nevous,  and  in  which  all  kinds  of  vague  terrors 
arise. 

At  the  termination  of  a  similar  journey,  having  overcome 
all  obstacles,  at  the  moment  of  success,  fears  are  so  strong, 
emotions  so  great,  that  the  point  of  arrival  seems  to  disap- 
pear altogether. 

Besides,  the  situation  offered  nothing  reassuring  in  the 
midst  of  a  barbarous  country,  and  with  means  of  transport 
which,  in  fact,  might  fail  at  any  moment.  The  doctor  did 
not  rely  absolutely  upon  his  balloon,  the  time  had  passed 
in  which  he  could  maneuver  it  fearlessly. 

With  these  impressions  upon  him  the  doctor  believed  he 
could  hear  vague  murmurs  in  that  vast  forest,  and  fancied 
he  perceived  a  fire  rapidly  flitting  between  the  trees.  He 
kept  his  gaze  fixed,  and  leveled  his  night-glass  in  the  same 
direction,  but  nothing  appeared,  and  the  silence  was  most 
profound. 

Ferguson  had  doubtless  been  under  a  delusion,  he  lis- 
tened without  hearing  the  slightest  sound.  The  period  of 
his  watch  having  now  expired,  he  woke  Kennedy,  enjoined 
upon  him  the  utmost  vigilance,  and  lay  down  beside  Joe, 
who  was  sleeping  soundly. 

Kennedy  lit  his  pipe  and  rubbed  his  eyes,  which  he 
could  scarcely  keep  open.  He  leaned  his  elbows  upon  the 
corner  of  the  car,  and  smoked  vigorously  to  keep  himself 
awake. 

The  most  absolute  silence  reigned  around,  a  gentle 
breeze  moved  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  swayed  the  car  in  a 
most  sleep-inviting  manner,  which  Kennedy  could  scarce 
resist.     He  struggled  against  the  feeling,  opened  his  eye- 


(( 


A   LAST   SACRIFICE  395 

lids,  looked  steadily  into  the  darkness  with  lack-luster  eyes, 
and  at  length  yielding  to  fatigue  he  fell  asleep. 

How  long  was  he  thus?  He  could  not  tell  when  he 
woke,  for  he  was  suddenly  disturbed  by  an  unexpected 
crackling. 

He  rubbed  his  eyes  and  jumi>ed  up.  An  intense  heat 
scorched  his  face.     The  forest  was  in  flames. 

"  Fire,  fire ! "  he  cried,  scarcely  understanding  what  had 
happened. 

His  two  companions  got  up. 
What  is  the  matter?"  asked  Ferguson. 
Fire !  "  cried  Joe.     "  But  who " 

At  this  moment  yells  arose  beneath  the  burning  trees. 

**  Ah !  the  savages,"  cried  Joe,  "  they  have  fired  the  forest 
to  burn  us,  no  doubt." 

"  The  Talibas,  the  marabouts  of  Al-Hadji,  depend  upon 
it,"  said  the  doctor. 

The  "  Victoria  "  was  regularly  surrounded  by  fire,  the 
crackling  of  the  dead  wood  was  mingled  with  the  hissing 
of  the  green  branches,  twining  plants,  leaves,  all  the  living 
vegetation  was  embraced  in  the  destructive  element.  On 
all  sides  an  ocean  of  flame  only  was  visible.  Great  trees 
stood  out  against  the  glow  with  their  branches  covered  with 
burning  embers.  This  burning  mass  was  reflected  upon 
the  clouds,  and  the  travelers  appeared  enveloped  in  a  globe 
of  fire. 

"  Let  us  fly! "  cried  Kennedy;  "  let  us  get  out!  it  is  our 
only  chance  of  safety." 

But  Ferguson  stopped  him  with  a  firm  hand,  and  with  a 
trenchant  blow  he  severed  the  grapnel-ropes.  The  flames, 
leaping  up  towards  the  balloon,  were  already  licking  its 
sides,  but  the  "  Victoria,"  freed  from  its  bonds,  rose  more 
than  i,ooo  feet  into  the  air. 

Horrible  yells  resounded  through  the  forest,  mingled 
with  the  loud  reports  of  firearms,  but  the  balloon,  wafted 
by  a  current  which  had  arisen  with  daybreak,  continued 
her  journey  towards  the  west. 


CHAPTER   XLIII 

A  WASTED  COUNTRY 


(( 


If  we  had  not  taken  the  precaution  to  lighten  the 
balloon  last  night,"  said  the  doctor,  "we  should  have  been 
lost  past  recovery." 

"  That  shows  the  benefit  of  doing  things  in  time,"  said 
Joe,  "  so  we  have  escaped,  and  nothing  is  more  natural." 

"  We  are  not  out  of  danger  yet,"  replied  Ferguson  in  a 
cautious  manner. 

"What  do  you  fear  now?"  asked  Dick;  "the  'Vic- 
toria '  cannot  descend  without  your  permission,  and  when 
it  should  do  so." 

"  When  it  should  do  so ! — look !  " 

The  border  of  the  forest  was  passed,  and  the  travelers 
could  descry  about  thirty  horsemen  clothed  in  wide  trousers, 
and  bournous  floating  in  the  air.  Some  were  armed  with 
lances,  others  with  long  muskets.  They  pursued  the  "  Vic- 
toria," which  was  going  along  slowly,  at  a  hand-gallop. 

At  sight  of  the  travelers  they  raised  savage  cries  and 
brandished  their  weapons — their  anger  and  menaces  v^ere  to 
be  read  in  their  sunburnt  faces,  rendered  more  ferocious 
by  the  short  but  bristling  beard.  They  passed  easily  over 
the  low  plains  and  gentle  declivities  that  descend  to  the 
Senegal. 

"  They  are  indeed  the  cruel  Talibas,"  said  the  doctor, 
"  the  ferocious  marabouts  of  Al-Hadji.  I  would  rather  be 
in  a  forest  in  the  midst  of  wild  beasts,  than  in  the  hands  of 
those  men." 

"  They  have  not  the  most  amiable  appearance,  cer- 
tainly," said  Kennedy,  "and  they  are  powerful  fellows 
too." 

"  Happily,  the  ruffians  cannot  fly ;  there  is  always  some 
consolation,"  said  Joe. 

"  Do  you  see  those  ruined  villages,  those  burned  houses  ? 
that  is  their  handiwork;  and  where  at  one  time  were  culti- 
vated pastures,  they  have  now  left  nothing  but  sterility  and 
devastation." 

"  At  any  rate,  they  cannot  touch  us  here,"  said  Ken- 
nedy, "  and  if  we  can  put  the  river  between  us,  we  shall  be 
safe." 

"  Quite  so,  Dick,  but  we  must  not  fall,"  said  the  doctor, 
looking  at  the  barometer. 

396 


A  WASTED  COUNTRY  397 

"In  any  case,  Joe,  it  will  do  no  harm  to  look  to  our 


arms." 


"  That  will  not  hurt  us,  certainly,  Mr.  Dick ;  we  now  find 
what  a  good  thing  it  was  not  to  have  thrown  them  away." 

"  I  trust  I  shall  never  part  with  my  rifle,"  said  Ken- 
nedy. And  he  loaded  it  carefully,  for  some  ammunition 
still  remained. 

"  At  what  height  are  we  now?  " 

"  About  750  feet,"  replied  Ferguson ;  "  but  we  have  no 
means  left  to  seek  a  favorable  current,  and  in  ascending 
or  descending  we  are  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  balloon." 

"  That  is  a  pity,"  replied  Kennedy,  "  the  wind  is  so  light, 
and  if  we  had  only  met  a  storm  similar  to  that  a  few  days 
ago,  we  should  soon  give  these  robbers  the  slip." 

"  They  are  following  us  at  their  ease,"  said  Joe ;  "  it  is 
only  gentle  exercise  for  them." 

"  If  we  were  within  range,"  said  Kennedy,  "  I  could 
amuse  myself  by  dismounting  a  few  of  them." 

"  Yes ;  but  they  might  also  have  the  range,"  said  Fer- 
guson, "  and  our  '  Victoria '  offers  an  excellent  mark  for 
their  long  musket  bullets,  and  if  they  were  to  tear  the  silk, 
I  leave  you  to  judge  what  our  fate  would  be." 

The  Talibas  continued  their  pursuit  all  the  morning. 
About  II  A.  M.  the  travelers  had  made  fifteen  miles  towards 
the  west. 

The  doctor  scanned  the  smallest  cloud  on  the  horizon. 
He  feared  a  change.  If  they  should  happen  to  be  driven 
towards  the  Niger,  what  would  become  of  them?  More- 
over, the  balloon  was  visibly  sinking;  since  their  departure 
it  had  already  lost  more  than  300  feet,  and  the  Senegal 
was  still  twelve  miles  away,  and  at  the  pace  they  were 
traveling  it  would  take  three  hours  to  reach  it. 

At  this  time  their  attention  was  attracted  by  renewed 
yells.  The  Talibas  were  pressing  their  horses  forward. 
The  doctor  consulted  the  barometer  and  perceived  the  cause 
of  these  cries. 

We  are  descending,"  said  Kennedy. 
Yes!"  replied  Ferguson. 

"The  devil!"  said  Joe. 

In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  car  was  not  more 
than  150  feet  from  the  ground,  but  the  wind  was  blowing 
more  strongly  now. 


(( 


398  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

The  Talibas  spurred  their  horses,  and  soon  a  volley  of 
musketry  rent  the  air. 

**  Too  far,  you  idiots ! "  cried  Joe.  "  We  had  better 
keep  those  scamps  at  arm's  length,"  and  taking  aim,  he 
fired.  One  of  the  Talibas  rolled  on  the  ground;  his  com- 
panions pulled  up,  and  the  "Victoria"  thus  gained  a  little. 

"  They  are  prudent,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  Because  they  believe  themselves  sure  of  us,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  and  they  will  succeed  if  we  descend  any  lower. 
We  must  absolutely  ascend." 

"  What  is  there  to  be  thrown  over?  "  asked  Joe. 

"  All  the  pemmican  that  is  left.  We  can  thus  get  rid  of 
30  lbs.  weight." 

"  There;  it  is  gone,  sir,"  said  Joe. 

The  car,  which  had  been  almost  touching  the  ground, 
ascended  again  amid  the  cries  of  the  Talibas;  but,  half  an 
hour  later,  the  "  Victoria  "  redescended  rapidly — the  gas 
pouring  from  the  folds  of  the  silk.  The  car  soon  touched 
the  ground;  the  adherents  of  Al-Hadji  hastened  towards  it; 
but,  as  happened  before,  scarcely  had  it  touched  the  earth 
when  the  "  Victoria  "  bounded  about  a  mile  farther  on. 

"  We  shall  not  escape  after  all ! "  cried  Kennedy  in  a 
rage. 

"Throw  out  the  brandy,  Joe,"  cried  the  doctor;  "and 
the  instruments — everything  of  any  weight,  and  our  last 
anchor.     We  must  do  it." 

Joe  threw  away  the  barometers  and  thermometers,  but 
these  were  not  much,  and  the  balloon,  which  had  gone  up 
for  an  instant,  soon  fell  to  earth  again.  The  Talibas  came 
flying  after  it,  and  were  not  200  yards  distant  now. 

"  Throw  away  two  of  the  guns,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  Not  until  I  have  discharged  them,  at  least,"  replied 
Kennedy. 

Four  successive  shots  pierced  the  crowd  of  horsemen — 
four  Talibas  fell  amid  the  frantic  raging  of  the  troop. 

The  "  Victoria "  ascended  once  more,  it  bounded  im- 
mense distances,  like  a  great  india-rubber  ball.  A  strange 
sight  was  that  of  these  unfortunate  men  seeking  to  escape 
by  means  of  these  gigantic  leaps,  and  the  balloon,  Ant?eus- 
like,  seemed  to  derive  new  strength  each  time  it  touched 
the  earth.  But  the  end  must  come.  It  was  nearly  noon. 
The  "  Victoria  "  shuddered  and  collapsed ;  the  envelope  be- 


A  WASTED  COUNTRY  399 

came  "flabby"  and  loose;  the  plaits  of  the  taffetas  dis- 
tended, rubbing  against  each  other. 

"  Heaven  has  abandoned  us,"  said  Kennedy.  "  We 
must  fall." 

Joe  did  not  reply — he  looked  at  his  master. 

"  No!  "  said  the  latter,  "  we  have  still  150  lbs.  to  throw 
away." 

"  What  next  ?  "  cried  Kennedy,  thinking  the  doctor  had 
lost  his  senses. 

"  The  car,"  said  Ferguson.  "  We  must  lash  ourselves 
to  the  netting,  we  can  hold  on  to  the  meshes,  and  thus 
reach  the  river.     Quick,  quick !  " 

And  these  resolute  men  did  not  hesitate  to  seize  such  a 
chance  of  safety.  They  suspended  themselves  to  the 
meshes,  as  the  doctor  had  suggested,  and  Joe,  holding  by 
one  hand,  with  the  other  cut  the  cords  that  fastened  the 
car;  it  fell  at  the  moment  the  balloon  was  definitely  lost. 

"  Hurrah,  hurrah ! "  he  cried,  as  the  balloon  rose  again 
300  feet  into  the  air. 

The  Talibas  spurred  their  horses  to  full  speed,  but  the 
"Victoria"  encountering  a  stronger  breeze,  left  them  be- 
hind, and  sailed  rapidly  away  towards  a  hill  which  bounded 
the  horizon  in  the  west.  This  was  a  very  favorable  cir- 
cumstance for  the  travelers,  as  they  could  pass  over  it,  while 
the  band  of  Al-Hadji  would  be  obliged  to  take  a  detour  to- 
wards the  north  to  get  round  it. 

The  three  friends  held  tightly  to  the  netting,  they  had 
tied  it  beneath  their  feet,  and  so  it  formed  a  resting-place. 

After  having  cleared  the  hill,  the  doctor  suddenly  ex- 
claimed, "  The  river,  the  Senegal !  " 

There,  at  two  miles'  distance,  was  the  river  rolling  along 
in  its  wide  bed.  The  opposite  bank,  low  and  fertile,  offered 
a  safe  retreat  and  a  convenient  spot  upon  which  to  descend. 

"  In  another  quarter  of  an  hour  we  shall  be  saved," 
cried  Ferguson. 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  The  empty  balloon  fell  by  degrees 
upon  a  spot  almost  denuded  of  vegetation.  There  were 
long  slopes  and  stony  plains,  a  few  bushes,  and  thick  grass, 
dried  up  by  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

The  "  Victoria  "  touched  the  ground  many  times,  and 
rebounded,  but  less  and  less  each  time.  At  last  it  caught 
by  the  upper  part  of  the  net  to  the  high  branches  of  a 


400  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

baobab — an  isolated  tree  in  the  midst  of  this  desert  region. 
"  It  is  all  over,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  And  within  a  hundred  paces  of  the  river,"  said  Joe. 
The  three  unfortunate  travelers  descended,  and  the  doc- 
tor dragged  his  two  companions  to  the  Senegal. 

At  this  moment  they  heard  a  long  sullen  roar  proceeding 
from  the  direction  of  the  river,  and  when  they  reached  the 
bank  Ferguson  recognized  the  cataracts  of  Gouina.  Not  a 
boat  upon  the  river — not  a  living  being  to  be  seen. 

The  Senegal,  2,000  feet  wide,  fell  here  a  height  of  150 
feet  with  a  sonorous  roar.  It  flowed  from  east  to  west, 
and  the  line  of  rocks  that  barred  its  course  stretched  from 
north  to  south.  In  the  midst  of  the  fall  the  rocks  assumed 
strange  forms,  like  some  antediluvian  animals  petrified  in 
the  midst  of  the  water. 

The  utter  impracticability  of  this  gulf  was  evident. 
Kennedy  could  not  restrain  a  gesture  of  despair. 

But  Doctor  Ferguson  with  his  old  energy  cried  out,  "  All 
is  not  yet  lost !  " 

"  I  know  that  well,"  replied  Joe,  with  that  confidence  in 
his  master  that  never  deserted  him. 

The  sight  of  the  dry  grass  had  inspired  the  doctor  with  a 
bold  idea.  It  was  the  only  chance  of  safety.  He  drew  his 
companions  rapidly  towards  the  balloon. 

"  We  are  at  least  an  hour  ahead  of  those  robbers,"  he 
said;  "let  us  lose  no  time,  my  friends;  collect  a  quantity  of 
this  dry  grass,  at  least  100  lbs.  weight." 

"  For  what  purpose  ?  "  asked  Kennedy. 

"  I  have  no  more  gas,  so  I  will  cross  the  river  by  means 
of  hot  air." 

"  Ah !  my  brave  Samuel,"  cried  Kennedy,  "  you  are  in- 
deed a  great  man." 

Kennedy  and  Joe  set  to  work,  and  soon  an  enormous 
heap  of  grass  was  collected  close  to  the  tree.  Meantime 
the  doctor  had  enlarged  the  opening  at  the  lower  part  of  the 
balloon  and  had  taken  care  to  let  all  the  hydrogen  escape 
by  the  valve ;  he  then  piled  some  of  the  dry  grass  under  the 
envelope  and  set  fire  to  it. 

A  short  time  suffices  to  dilate  a  balloon  with  hot  air;  a 
heat  of  180°  is  sufficient  to  diminish  the  weight  of  the  air 
one-half  by  rarefaction,  so  the  "  Victoria  "  soon  began  to 
reassume  her  rounded  appearance.     There  was  no  lack  of 

y.  I  Yeriitt 


it 
it 


it 
« 


A  WASTED  COUNTRY  401 

grass,  the  fire  was  kept  up  by  the  doctor,  and  the  balloon 
swelled  visibly. 

It  was  then  a  quarter  to  i  p.  m. 

At  this  moment,  two  miles  to  the  north,  the  Talibas  re- 
appeared; their  cries  and  the  galloping  of  their  horses  were 
distinctly  heard. 

"  In  twenty  minutes  they  will  be  here,"  said  Kennedy. 

"  More  grass,  Joe !  more  grass !  In  ten  minutes  we  shall 
be  high  in  the  air." 

"There  is  the  grass,  sir." 

The  "  Victoria  "  was  two-thirds  filled. 
My  friends,  hold  on  to  the  netting  as  before." 
All  right,"  said  Kennedy. 

In  about  ten  minutes  some  lunges  of  the  balloon  gave 
indication  that  she  would  soon  be  ofT. 

The  Talibas  approached,  they  were  scarcely  500  paces 
distant. 

Hold  tight,"  cried  Ferguson. 
Never  fear,"  said  his  companions. 

The  doctor's  feet  pushed  more  grass  into  the  fire.  The 
balloon,  completely  filled  by  the  increase  of  temperature, 
rose  up,  brushing  the  branches  of  the  baobab  as  it  went. 

"We're  ofif!"  cried  Joe. 

A  volley  of  musketry  was  the  reply,  one  bullet  even 
grazed  Joe's  shoulder;  but  Kennedy,  holding  by  one  hand, 
discharged  his  rifle  with  the  other,  and  an  enemy  fell. 

Cries  of  rage,  impossible  to  describe,  accompanied  the 
ascent;  the  balloon  rose  to  nearly  800  feet.  A  rapid  wind 
then  seized  it,  and  it  oscillated  dangerously,  while  the  brave 
doctor  and  his  friends  were  obliged  to  contemplate  the 
cataracts  opening  beneath  them. 

Ten  minutes  afterwards,  not  a  word  having  been  ex- 
changed in  the  interval,  the  intrepid  travelers  descended 
gradually  towards  the  other  bank  of  the  river. 

There,  surprised  and  alarmed,  stood  a  group  of  men 
wearing  the  French  uniform.  Their  astonishment  may  be 
guessed  when  they  saw  a  balloon  rising  from  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  river.  They  fancied  it  a  miracle.  But  their 
officers,  a  lieutenant  of  marines,  and  a  second  lieutenant, 
were  aware,  from  the  accounts  in  the  European  papers,  of 
the  bold  attempt  of  Doctor  Ferguson,  and  they  told  the 
facts  to  their  companions. 


402  FIVE  WEEKS  IN  A  BALLOON 

The  balloon  collapsed  by  degrees,  and  was  falling  with 
the  brave  travelers  holding  to  the  netting, — they  were 
doubting  whether  they  should  ever  reach  land,  when  the 
Frenchmen  rushed  into  the  river  and  received  the  three 
Englishmen  in  their  arms  at  the  moment  when  the  "  Vic- 
toria "  sank  at  some  distance  from  the  bank. 

"  Doctor  Ferguson  ?  "  cried  the  lieutenant. 

"  The  same,"  replied  the  doctor,  quietly,  "  and  his  two 
friends." 

The  Frenchmen  carried  the  travelers  to  the  bank,  while 
the  balloon,  still  slightly  inflated,  was  borne  by  the  rapid 
current,  like  an  immense  ball,  over  the  cataracts  of  the 
Gouina. 

"Poor  'Victoria!'"  said  Joe. 

The  doctor  could  not  repress  a  tear.  He  opened  his 
arms,  and  he  and  his  friends  embraced  each  other,  under 
the  influence  of  the  emotion  which  affected  them  all. 


CHAPTER   XLIV 

CONCLUSION 

The  expedition  which  had  fallen  in  with  the  travelers 
had  been  sent  by  the  governor  of  Senegal.  It  was  com- 
posed of  two  officers,  M.  Dufraisse,  a  lieutenant  of  ma- 
rines, and  M.  Rodamel,  a  second  lieutenant,  with  a  ser- 
geant and  seven  men.  For  the  last  two  days  they  had  been 
engaged  in  seeking  the  most  favorable  situation  for  the 
establishment  of  a  station  at  Gouina,  when  they  were  wit- 
nesses of  the  arrival  of  Doctor  Ferguson. 

One  can  easily  imagine  the  congratulations  which  were 
extended  to  the  travelers.  The  French  being  in  a  position 
to  testify  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  bold  design,  nat- 
urally became  witnesses  for  Doctor  Ferguson,  when  he 
asked  them  to  testify  officially  to  his  arrival  at  the  cata- 
racts of  Gouina. 

"  You  will  not  refuse  to  sign  an  official  statement,  I 
daresay?"  the  doctor  said  to  Lieutenant  Dufraisse. 

"  I  am  ready,  whenever  you  please,"  replied  the  latter. 

The  English  were  conducted  to  a  guard-house  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  where  they  experienced  the  greatest 
attention,  and  were  well  entertained.     There  was  drawn 


CONCLUSION  403 

up  the  official  testimony,  which  is  in  the  archives  of  the 
Geographical  Society  to  this  day. 

**  We,  the  undersigned,  declare  that  on  the  said  day,  we 
saw  arrive  here,  suspended  to  the  netting  of  a  balloon, 
Doctor  Ferguson,  and  his  two  companions,  Richard  Ken- 
nedy and  Joseph  Wilson.  The  said  balloon  fell  at  a  few 
yards  distant  from  us  into  the  river,  and  was  carried  away 
by  the  current  over  the  cataracts  of  the  Gouina,  In  testi- 
mony whereof  we  have  hereto  set  our  names.  Done  at  the 
cataracts  of  the  Gouina  on  this  twenty-fourth  day  of  May, 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-two. 
"  {Signed)  Samuel  Ferguson, 

Richard  Kennedy, 

Joseph  Wilson. 

DuFRAissE,  Lieutenant. 

RoDAMEL,  Second  Lieutenant. 

DuFAYS,  Sergeant. 

Flippeau, 

Mayor, 

Pelissier, 

LoROis,  Soldiers 

Rascagnet, 

GUILLON, 

Here  terminated  the  wonderful  journey  of  Dr.  Fergu- 
son and  his  brave  companions.  They  found  themselves 
amongst  friends,  in  the  midst  of  hospitable  tribes,  whence 
communications  with  the  French  stations  are  frequent. 

They  reached  the  Senegal  on  Saturday,  the  24th  of  May, 
and  on  the  27th  they  reached  Medine,  situated  upon  the 
river  a  little  more  to  the  north.  Here  the  French  officers 
received  them  with  open  arms,  and  extended  to  them  all 
the  hospitality  in  their  power.  It  was  found  that  the 
travelers  could  embark  almost  immediately  in  the  steamer 
Basilisk,  which  was  going  down  the  river. 

Fourteen  days  afterwards,  on  the  loth  of  June,  they 
reached  St.  Louis,  where  the  governor  welcomed  them 
heartily;  they  had  by  this  time  quite  recovered  from  their 
fatigues.  Joe  told  all  who  would  listen  to  him  that.  "  It 
was  not  much  of  a  Journey  after  all,  and  if  anyone  is 
anxious  for  excitement  I  would  not  advise  him  to  under- 
take such  an  one;  it  becomes  tedious  at  last,  and  indeed, 


404  FIVE   WEEKS    IN    A    BALLOON 

without  the  adventures  on  Lake  Tchad  and  at  the  Senegal, 
I  verily  believe  we  should  have  died  of  ennui." 

An  English  frigate  was  about  to  sail,  and  the  three 
travelers  were  taken  on  board.  On  the  25th  of  June  they 
arrived  at  Portsmouth,  and  on  the  following  day  they 
reached  London.  We  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  the 
welcome  they  received  from  the  Royal  Geographical  So- 
ciety, nor  the  cordiality  of  their  general  reception.  Ken- 
nedy set  out  for  Edinburgh  with  his  famous  rifle  to  reas- 
sure his  old  housekeeper  of  his  existence. 

Doctor  Ferguson  and  his  faithful  Joe  are  still  the  same, 
although  change  has  come  upon  them;  they  have  become 
friends — no  longer  master  and  servant. 

The  European  journals  were  unanimous  in  their  praises 
of  the  explorers,  and  the  Daily  Telegraph  issued  977,000 
copies  on  the  day  they  published  an  extract  from  the  jour- 
nals of  the  voyage. 

Doctor  Ferguson  read  the  account  of  the  expedition  at 
a  public  meeting  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and 
the  Gold  Medal  was  bestowed  upon  him  and  his  two  com- 
panions, for  having  achieved  the  most  remarkable  expedi- 
tion of  the  year  1862. 


.  The  result  of  the  journey  of  Doctor  Ferguson  was  to 
confirm  in  the  most  precise  manner  the  facts  and  statements 
reported  by  Barth,  Burton,  Speke,  and  others.  Thanks  to 
the  still  more  recent  expeditions  of  Speke  and  Grant, 
Heuglin  and  Munzinger,  who  ascended  to  the  sources  of 
the  Nile,  where  they  spread  towards  the  center  of  Africa, 
we  shall  soon  be  able  to  confirm  in  their  turn  Doctor  Fer- 
guson's own  discoveries  in  that  immense  territory  com- 
prised between  the  fourteenth  and  thirty-third  degree  of 
longitude. 


THE  END 


\kt^^ 


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